When you get injuries such as sprains, broken bones, dislocated bones, or tendon ruptures, you tend to experience intense pain, especially when you move the wounded areas. In this case, the orthopedist will look at the wound and suggest the right splint be placed on the injury. Putting splints on the injury is necessary to avoid worsening it. On top of this, it’ll help to keep your joints in position, decrease pain, promote healing, and prevent muscle and joint tightness.
You could have your splint custom-made by reliable companies such as SAM splint or several other providers to get the right fit for your size. On the other hand, you could purchase ready-made splints in different shapes and sizes. Reliable companies can provide splints that are easy to clean, can withstand harsh weather conditions, and are lightweight.
After the splints have been placed on your wounded area, you should implement the best care to avoid infections. Below are six do’s and five don’ts to assist you in caring for your injury splints:
Do’s
To effectively care for your splint injury, you must do the following:
1.Keep Your Splint Dry And Clean
Your injury splints shouldn’t be exposed to any water. Moisture build-up on your wound may cause itching or irritation. If it’s an open wound, damp conditions may cause an infection.
Therefore, when taking a shower, cover the injury splint so it isn’t exposed to water. You can use plastic or tape to protect it. Alternatively, use a hairdryer to dehydrate the area if it’s wet. Only use devices that produce cool air to prevent the wound from opening up or getting irritated. When having your splint placed, you could also ask for waterproof ones.
Also, if your doctor allows you to remove the splint, ensure you place it back when your skin is dry. Doing so helps to prevent any germs from getting back into the injury. Ensure you don’t tighten the splint when you put it back.
2.Keep Your Injury Splint Elevated
Once the splint has been placed on your arm or leg, it’s best to keep it elevated to prevent swelling, bruising, and discomfort. It’s advisable to do this the first two days after it has been positioned for two to three hours daily. Placing the injured arm or leg on a pillow is one good way to help it heal.
3.Ice The Injury
Suppose you experience swelling on the injury splint while at home; consider applying ice to decrease pain by numbing the injury. However, don’t place it on the wound for a long time until it soaks wet. You could set a cloth in between the ice and the skin to prevent it from becoming damp.
4.Move The Surrounding Body Parts
When you nurse the wound for so long without moving the parts around it, you may start feeling stiffness around the area. Thus, wiggle your fingers or toes to help the blood circulate adequately around the injured areas.
5.Maintain Muscle Strength And Tone
Muscle tone is the ability of your muscles to resist stretching when you can’t move. Since most splint injuries cause the wounded area to stay immobile, you need to learn how to train the uninjured areas to help maintain muscle strength and tone. However, before you undertake such activities, speak to your physician to get helpful tips on how you can go about it.
6.Check The Injury Splint Regularly
You must keep an eye on the injury splint to see if there’s any problem. A lot of complications could arise from the slings, and it could cause an infection which may make the wound much bigger. Thus, check for the following signs:
- The skin around the splint appears discoloured; it could be gray or pale.
- You feel numb or tingle near the injury area.
- You notice blood or pus oozing from the injury splint.
- You have a fever.
- You notice your splint is spoilt.
- You experience chronic pain.
- Your sling is too tight.
- You feel warm in the pain area.
These signs could make you experience chronic pain or sometimes lead to injuries to the nerves. So, be on the lookout and check your injury splint at all times, especially when applying the splints on your own.
Don’ts
After knowing what to do, you must also understand what you shouldn’t do while having a wound or injury. Below is a list of things to avoid when caring for your injury splints:
1.Don’t Stick Items In The Splint
Even though you may feel itchy under the splint, you shouldn’t stick anything under it to relieve the itchy feeling, especially sharp objects. You risk causing damage to the injured area. Instead, you could try blowing cool air under your splint using a drier or a fan.
2.Don’t Use Oils On It
You shouldn’t use any oils around your splint infection. When you apply oils, they may cause dryness to your skin which can cause a scratchy feeling. Alternatively, if you notice any red soreness, you can pad the area using smooth fabric such as moleskin.
3.Don’t Take It Off
If your orthopedist advises you to put on the splint at all times, you should heed their advice and don’t remove it until the prescribed period. No matter what activity you’re undertaking, whether it’s sleeping, eating, or bathing. Instead, you can cover them using tape.
4.Don’t Share It
It isn’t advisable to share your splint with anyone because you risk causing infection to your injury. So, don’t give it to someone else temporarily and then put it back even if they have a similar condition.
5.Don’t Expose It To Heat
Splints are often made from materials that quickly melt when exposed to heat. Thus, exposing them to extreme heat may soften and deform them. Even worse is the risk of getting burned. Therefore, avoid going near hot places such as kitchens or other similar areas.
Conclusion
Injuries are common at home, at the workplace, or on vacation. When you get injured and apply splints, you must take adequate care to accelerate your wound healing. For this reason, it’s best to know the list of things you should do and the ones to avoid, as outlined above. Eventually, your wound will heal quickly, and you’ll be back doing your regular routine.
