Pulled elbow - his long for DS to start using it properly again?

[Summerdays2014]

Hi,

DS 20 months was diagnosed with pulled elbow at a&he this afternoon. The doctor said it had popped back in by itself and watched him for 30 mins to check he could use his arm then discharged. He can use it, and definitely more than this morning, but is not doing so very much at all. Holding cup with one hand, only reaching out with one hand, pushing cars with one hand etc. He is dosed up on calpol and nurofen as advised. Is this normal? How long until he can use his arm again like normal. Will he be ok for nursery tomorrow? Hospital said to go back in a few days if not using arm, but what I've read suggests it should be bank to normal as soon as the bone is back in.

Thanks

When my son pulled his he was using it as normal immediately. I'd take him back as it doesn't sound right and that's the behaviour he was showing before the nurse popped it back

My dd had pulled elbow 3 times and was back to reusing that arm within 15 mins of it being popped back in.

Dd was using hers straightaway. Can you get your ds checked in the morning if he still isn't using it properly?

I too would get it checked. DD pulled her elbow. She went from being in excruciating pain to using it like normal the very moment it went back in. Hope all is ok.

Just to echo the others my son has done this 3 times and each time was using the arm as normal within minutes of being popped back in. I was told sometimes they can get fractures as well as the pulled elbow so I would go back if his movement is really limited or painful.

What happens if you offer something on the sore arm side for him to pick up? Could you cuddle him with the good arm behind your back and see if he will chocolate or something with bad arm?

My DS was using his again properly straight away. Keep an eye Nd if he doesn't start using it again soon it might need looking at again. He might be a bit young buy in sure even at that age my other DS used to try and over egg an injury. Try and observe him when he doesn't know you are watching just to see if he really isn't using it.

I’m going against the experiences of the PP’s. However, when my DS had pulled elbow, he was very reluctant to use it until the next day. Was told by A&E that this was normal, and that it was probably psychological rather than physical, as he was scared it was going to hurt/would hurt it again. Come the next morning it was like nothing had ever happened, and he was using it totally normally! HTH

Thanks everyone.
He's asleep now so I'll see how he is in the morning (or if he wakes in the night) when he was being observed for the 30 minutes he was hardly using it, but he did reach out for a toy banana and managed to pass it to the doctor so she said he was fine. He's hardly used it at all though since being home and he is asleep on his back as turning onto his normal front sleep position seemed to hurt.
Will keep a very close eye on him.he was sick and had a fever on Thursday and has been tired and off his food since then, so maybe it's just all too much for him.
Thanks again.

One of my kids did this when he was younger. We didn’t realise at the time it was pulled elbow so didn’t end up taking him to be seen until the following day. Once it was popped back it did take a day or two for him to start using it normally. So fingers crossed it’s similar for you.

Thanks c00k1e, I hope so. It's awful seeing him like this.

Well he's awake again now and crying so he's obviously still in pain. Oh dear.

Maybe it's popped again or they didn't get it back in properly? I'd take him back if he's still in pain like that. My daughter was back using hers straightaway when it happened to her.

It took 6 days for my son (who was 2) to be diagnosed and to have it put back in. Six days in pain! Anyway, he was back using it normally within a day.

Can you get him seen tonight?

Yes, my DS2 did it twice and boy times after it was popped back in, he was using it completely normally within a few minutes. Sounds like something isn't right.

I would get it checked out if still not right. Might be another issue too. We had my (older) daughters dislocated elbow missed when they spotted a break. Wasn't spotted for a few weeks so when the cast came off her elbow was still dislocated. She had 4 or 5 days like that whilst waiting for an operation and she would use her arm but not bend it at all. She wasn't in pain at all but just would not bend her elbow. (Obv we didn't try and get her too)
I think a trip to Drs or minor injuries might be worthwhile if it's still the same.

Summerdays2014 how is your son today?

Thanks everyone. Been back to a&e and has it x rayed. They could see any fractures but the images weren't clear as he wouldn't keep his arm still. So now he's in a sling and will be going to the fracture club tomorrow so they can have a look. Thanks for all the advice.

Hope tomorrow goes well and he's better soon.