Where There Is No Doctor 2011 101
DISLOCATIONS
(BONES THAT HAVE COME OUT OF PLACE AT A JOINT)
Three important points of treatment:
♦ Try to put the bone back into place. The sooner the better!
♦ Keep it bandaged firmly in place so it does not slip out again (about a month).
♦ Avoid forceful use of the limb long enough for the joint to heal completely
(2 or 3 months).
HOW TO SET A DISLOCATED SHOULDER:
Have the injured person lie face down on a table or other firm surface with his
arm hanging over the side. Pull down on the arm toward the floor, using a strong,
steady force, for 15 to 20 minutes. Then gently let go. The shoulder should ‘pop’
back into place.
Or attach something to the arm that weighs 5 to 10 kg. (start with 5 kg., but do
not go higher than 10 kg.) and leave it there for 15 to 20 minutes.
After the shoulder is in place, bandage the arm firmly
against the body. Keep it bandaged for a week to a month.
To prevent the shoulder from becoming completely stiff,
unbandage the arm for a few minutes 3 times a day and, with
the arm hanging at the side, move it gently in narrow circles.
Do not lift any weight with the arm for a month so the shoulder
does not pop out of place again.
If you cannot put the dislocated limb back in place, look for
medical help at once. The longer you wait, the harder it will be
to correct.