Content

• Steps

A dislocation occurs when the two joints at the joint are ordered out of their original position. Symptoms of dislocation include severe pain, inability to move, and deformity in the dislocated joint. Dislocations can occur in most joints in the body, such as shoulders, elbows, knees, hips and ankles, and small joints of fingers and toes can also be dislocated. A person with a dislocated joint needs urgent medical attention, but you can also learn how to handle it until he or she gets professional medical help.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Initial Condition Assessment

1. 

   Dislocated joint dressing with a sterile instrument. Steps to prevent infection are important, especially if there are any open wounds in the joint area.
   • Do not try to wash the wound yourself in any way (if there is an injury, or if the skin is torn) Trying to clean the wound without the right tools to disinfect or with medical skills will increase the infection further.
   • In this situation, bandaging the dislocated joint is sufficient to reduce the risk of infection.

2. 

   
   
   Fixed dislocated joint area. Try to use non-stick gauze like Telfa if there is an open wound. Be careful not to manually reposition the joint in any way. This could cause more serious harm. It is best to keep the joint in place and wait until being treated by a medical professional.
   • Hold both the upper and lower joints very still to ensure the most stable dislocation while waiting for medical treatment.
   • If you have a dislocated shoulder joint, you can use a strap (or make a bandage by tying a long piece of cloth in a circle) to hold it in place. Note that the bandage must keep the arm against the body. Instead of just wrapping the bandage around your neck, you should wrap the bandage around your upper body before tying it around your neck.
   • If the joint is dislocated at another position such as the knee or elbow, using a brace is best. You can make splints from sticks, or other sturdy tool, and tape or cloth to keep the splint in place.

3. 

   
   
   Watch for dislocated area. Make sure the patient's arms and legs do not lose sensation, change temperature, or weaken pulse. These signs are caused by blocked blood vessels, or nerves leading down to the damaged limb. If this occurs, seek medical help to immediately treat the dislocation.
   • Check the pulse farthest from the center of the body of the leg or arm, at the wrist if the arm or shoulder is dislocated, at the top of the foot or behind the ankle bone if the injury is in the lower leg.

4. 

   
   
   Avoid giving food or drink to the patient during treatment of dislocations. Doctors often need the patient's stomach empty for treatment, especially in cases where surgery is needed.

5. 

   Seek medical help at the right time. If the patient has any of the following symptoms, call 115 right away, for emergency medical help:
   • Losing a lot of blood
   • Other serious injuries
   • Potential trauma to head, neck, and spine (do not move injured person if neck and spine injury is suspected to avoid further injury)
   • Loss of sensation in the dislocated joint area or the extremities (fingers, toes, ...)
   • Always seek medical help at the right time, even without the above symptoms. Though they are more worrying and urgent, all dislocations require timely medical review and treatment. If possible, take the injured person to your local health clinic, otherwise call 115 for help.
   advertisement

Part 2 of 2: Symptomatic Treatment of Dislocations

1. 

   Reduce pain around the dislocated area with a cold pack.This also reduces swelling, making the affected area more comfortable. Be careful not to apply ice or cold packs directly to the skin when treating dislocations to avoid damaging the skin, so wrap the pack in a towel before applying.
   • Apply ice for 10 to 20 minutes at a time.

2. 

   
   
   Take ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) if the pain is severe. Note the correct dosage printed on the bottle. Both of these are over-the-counter medications available at local or hospital pharmacies.

3. 

   Prepare for treatment. When the dislocated person is hospitalized, medical staff will straighten the bones around the joint. This process is also known as "manipulation". The patient is usually under local anesthesia before the procedure because the manipulation of the joint is quite painful (however, after the joint returns to the correct position, the pain will decrease).
   • Once the bones are in place, the doctor will fix the joint for a few weeks, the body will then heal itself naturally.
   • Sometimes surgery is needed if the doctor is unable to straighten the bone around the joint manually. In this case, the joint will be fixed after surgery.

4. 

   
   
   Start exercising when the joints can restart. Usually, after several weeks of physical therapy, the patient will restore the range of joint motion. It also strengthens the muscles around the joint, thereby reducing the likelihood of future injury.
   • Activate the dislocated area only when authorized by your doctor.
   advertisement