An elbow dislocation refers to when the bones of the forearm move out of place, either the radius or the ulna in comparison to the humerus. When either of these two bones move out of place, a dislocation is said to have occurred. This is a very painful joint pain and it requires urgent and immediate attention to help the affected individual get back to health. If not attended to fast, swelling may occur as nerves may not be working well or blood vessels may be impeded from transporting blood.
In most cases, the causes of an elbow dislocation is an awkward fall where one falls on the arm in an improper way and thus, one bone of the arm tends to be dislocated. In other cases, traumatic injury such as a car crash may cause and elbow dislocation. This can also be as a result of sport where one may be injured in sport such as football or even rugby.
An elbow dislocation is manifested by severe pain in the elbow and an accompanied swelling at the dislocation point. This makes the elbow tough to bend or even move at all. The feeling sensation may be lost in the hand if the dislocated bone tends to press on nerves serving the arm. In some cases, some patients report not to feel a pulse in their wrists. This may be an indication that the veins and arteries were hurt by the dislocation.
The elbow dislocation causes severe pain and ought to be attended to as soon as it happens. It is for that reason that one needs to go to the emergency department of the nearest hospital so as to have it sorted out. It is especially dire if one is unable to move the arm, not have a feeling in the arm or even when one cannot feel a pulse in the arm.
You should go to the doctor's office or hospital's emergency department immediately if you are unable to move your elbow, have severe pain, cannot feel your hand, or have no pulse in your wrist for timely joint pain treatments to be administered.
When one arrives at the hospital, the doctor will fast of all check the joint pain facts before going to the administration of joint pain treatments. First off, the doctor checks for a pulse so as to know whether or not the arteries and veins are affected. Next, they check if one still has the sensation of feeling and can move the fingers so as to rule out damage to the nerves in the arm. This in most cases is a good sign when one has nerve sensation as all that the doctor has to worry about is setting the bone back in place.
To set the bone back in place, the doctor relies on x-rays to show where the dislocation occurred and how to set the bone back in place. In case damage to an artery or vein is suspected, further tests are ordered in the form of an arteriogram.
In as much as an elbow dislocation is a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention, there are some simple self-care tips that one can use if medical attention is not close to them. The first thing to do in the joint pain treatments is to look for an icepack and place on the dislocated region. In most cases, a dislocation causes swelling and the ice pack may help control the swelling. It is also a good way to reduce the pain caused by the dislocation as the ice numbs the nerves serving that specific area.
If you desire to check if the arteries are still in place after a dislocation and that an artery has not raptured internally, one should place a thumb at the base of the wrist so as to feel for a pulse. IF a pulse is not noticed, then, you ought to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
One can also check on the function of the nerve function by trying to open up the palm and closing it. Another thing to try is to see if they can spread their fingers apart. If all this tests are positive, there is a high chance that the nerves serving the arm are working well. If any of the above is problematic, then, it is highly recommended that one seeks immediate medical attention as nerve damage could have happened with the dislocation. After the joints have been restored back in place, the arm is set in a cast which may take anywhere from 8 – 12 weeks to resolve.
References:
https://www.jointhealthmagazine.com/jointrelief
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/arlington-heights/community/chi-ugc-article-4-nutrition-and-exercise-tips-for-people-with-2016-02-18-story.html
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