If you’ve experienced an injury to the arm, leg or hip, proper self-care at home can help you feel more comfortable and keep your recovery on track. It’s a good idea to follow up with your primary healthcare provider within a week of being treated for this type of injury, to make sure you’re healing as expected. If seeing your primary provider isn’t possible, DispatchHealth may recommend you schedule a follow-up with us.
Pain Relief After Injury
- Use over-the-counter pain medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) as directed on the label. Don’t take ibuprofen if you have heart, kidney or liver disease, a history of ulcers or if you take blood-thinning medications.
- Apply ice to the affected area to help ease pain. Cover the ice pack with a light towel to prevent frostbite, and limit ice treatment to 15 minutes at a time every few hours to prevent injury to the skin.
- Use over-the-counter topical treatments like diclofenac gel, lidocaine patches and capsaicin ointment as directed on the label.
Tips for Success with a Splint
Your healthcare provider may recommend immobilizing your injury with a splint, sling, brace or cast. This can help ease pain, reduce swelling and prevent further injury. Every case is different, so always follow the specific instructions from your provider.
- If wearing a splint, keep the limb elevated to the level of the heart when possible.
- Keep the splint clean and dry.
- If wearing a sling, perform daily range-of-motion exercises: Remove your arm from the sling and allow the arm to hang close to the body, then move the arm as if you were drawing a circle on the ground in each direction. Doing these exercises for a few minutes twice a day can help prevent a “frozen shoulder.”
When to Seek Medical Attention
If your pain is not improving after 48-72 hours, it’s a good idea to see your primary healthcare provider to double check for a fracture. (Keep in mind that sometimes these do not show up as expected on an initial x-ray.)
Get seen by a healthcare professional right away if you are experiencing any of these symptoms following an arm, leg or hip injury.
- Severe or worsening pain
- Sudden onset of numbness or new weakness in the arm or leg
- Blue, cold, or pale fingers or toes
