It’s happened to so many parents. You’re walking with your young child. They decide to throw themselves on the ground in a full-on tantrum because you said “no” to that lollipop. You try to stay calm. You’re still holding their hand, and try to lift them up from the ground by pulling upwards on their arm. Within a few minutes, you notice that they’re no longer crying and flailing their small body everywhere. They’re now simply not using the arm that you pulled on at all because it hurts at the elbow. They’re holding the arm, bent across their belly, and protecting it. Your first thought is “Oh God, I think I broke his arm!”.
My suggestion to you in this situation is to calm down and take a step-wise approach to evaluate the situation. The play-by-play I described above is typical of a Nurse Maid’s Elbow (or “Radial Head Subluxation” in fancy doctor terms). One of the ligaments in the elbow has gotten loose and caused one of the bones that make up the elbow to move out of place. If this is the first time this has happened, I’d recommend seeing a doctor for help. But, if this has happened before (like some parents I know!), you may be able to reduce it yourself by following these steps.
Procedure
- Press on the bones of the child’s affected arm, from the shoulder to the wrist. If the injury is from pulling upwards on the arm, and none of the other bones hurt when pressed (besides the elbow), it is likely a Nurse Maid’s elbow, and it’s OK to proceed with the remaining steps. If you’re worried about a fracture, the ER is the place to go instead.
- Have your child sit in front of you, facing you
- Start with the child’s palm facing down and the elbow flexed at a 90 degree angle (this is likely the position they will be resting in)
- Use your left hand to hold the area just above your child’s affected elbow to stabilize it (keep your left hand there throughout the process).
5. Use your right hand to hold your child’s hand on the affected arm
6. Use your right hand to turn the child’s palm to face up towards the ceiling (“supinate”)
7. Straighten the arm at the elbow, then immediately flex the arm at the elbow. This should cause the elbow to bend and the hand to go up towards the child’s shoulder.
8. You should feel a “pop” in your left hand, the hand that is stabilizing the elbow.
This procedure is successful up to 90% of the time if done correctly. Your child will likely cry during the procedure but will soon start using the arm like normal. Believe me, it can be a pretty scary situation, but it is so rewarding when it’s reduced and you’ve saved yourself a trip to the ER!
(Pictures credit: Medscape.com)
P.S. Subscribing via e-mail is the best way to stay connected to everything happening here at Wifey Mommy Doc. I invite you to join my subscribers in receiving regular updates. My newsletter will provide weekly encouragement, lessons learned, and tips on making it through this journey as a working wife and mom. When you subscribe, you’ll also receive my Nourishment Planning Worksheet to help you get started on being more intentional in nourishing your many roles!
