Is this your child's symptom?
- Injuries to the arm (shoulder to hand)
- Injuries to a bone, muscle, joint or ligament
- Excluded: muscle pain caused by too much exercise or work (overuse). Covered in Arm Pain.
- Excluded: finger injury only. See that care guide.
Types of Arm Injuries
- Fractures are broken bones. A broken collarbone is the most common broken bone in children. It's easy to notice because the collar bone is tender to touch. Also, the child cannot raise the arm upward.
- Dislocations happen when a bone is pulled out of a joint. A dislocated elbow is the most common type of this injury in kids. It's caused by an adult quickly lifting a child by the wrist or hand. It can also be caused by suddenly pulling a child toward you. Mainly seen in 1 to 4 year olds. It's also easy to spot. The child will hold his arm as if it were in a sling. He will keep the elbow bent and the palm of the hand down.
- Sprains are stretches and tears of ligaments.
- Strains are stretches and tears of muscles (such as a pulled muscle).
- Muscle Overuse. Muscle pain can occur without an injury. There is no fall or direct blow. Muscle overuse is from hard work or sports (such as a sore shoulder).
- Muscle bruise from a direct blow
- Bone bruise from a direct blow
- Skin Injury. Examples are a cut, scratch, scrape or bruise. All are common with arm injuries.
Pain Scale
- Mild: your child feels pain and tells you about it. But, the pain does not keep your child from any normal activities. School, play and sleep are not changed.
- Moderate: the pain keeps your child from doing some normal activities. It may wake him or her up from sleep.
- Severe: the pain is very bad. It keeps your child from doing all normal activities.
When to Call for Arm Injury
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