Swelling
Just let your arm hang!
Your arm will be very swollen and bruised for the first couple of weeks.
Be aware that your balance may be affected. Take extra care when walking and especially when coming down the stairs.
Symptoms can include
- A fractured humerus can be very mobile and you may feel and hear the bone moving within the plaster. This is not unusual but allowing your arm to hang loosely from the shoulder can minimise this from happening.
- Throbbing, numbness, tingling sensation
- Change of skin colour to exposed areas of skin not in cast
- Cast feeling tight
What to do
- To help reduce the swelling and stiffness in your wrist and hand you must keep moving by rotating your wrist and clenching your hand into a fist and then stretching your fingers out.
- This is a very painful injury so take your prescribed painkillers regularly and remember to let the arm hang.
- To wash the injured side lean forward and just let your arm swing forward from the shoulder. Do not lift your arm up. Use baby wipes or a well wrung out face cloth. (see video)
- When you go to bed sleep well supported but sat up using pillows to support you.
It is very important to keep the joints not in cast moving. See exercise video.