When injury strikes and you happen to hurt a certain part of your body, the best thing you could do is not to move the area. Not until you can get professional medical assistance at the hospital. Trying to stay immobile, however, is not as easy as it sounds. Not without a little assistance, at least. That is where splints come into play.
Splints are effective medical aids that can help stop you from moving parts of your body that may be injured. A splint is not as restrictive as a cast might be. Since splints are a lot more flexible and less restrictive, they are the ideal first aid equipment to have on hand. Sometimes, an injury may expand or swell until a medical professional can finally take a look at it. To accommodate what happens to your body, a splint is the solution that is most often used immediately following an injury.
One example of a splint that is often used for wrists or forearm injuries are sugar-tong splints. When an injury occurs around the wrist or forearm area, it is essential that this area is given as much support and stabilization as possible. If it doesn’t get the support that it needs, you could be running the risk of making your injury worse by the time medical assistance can get to it.
A sugar-tong splint is the most effective solution for an injury that occurs around this area because of the U-shape of the splint. The shape itself will help to immobilize your injured wrist or forearm and stop it from rotating and moving. If you happen to sustain a more serious injury like broken bones in this area, this type of splint is strong enough to keep your broken bones in place until you can get the medical attention you need.
To ensure that you’re protecting your wrist or forearm as much as possible, using a sugar-tong splint that is made from durable quality is essential. Sugar-tong splints are available from a range of medical device providers like Sam Medical, where quality is of the utmost priority. The SAM Sugar Tong® Splint is engineered with the same revolutionary C-Curve™ Principle, built with strength and unrivaled flexibility. These splints can bend into any simple arc, becoming exponentially stronger and more supportive, immobilizing sprains, strains and minimally displaced fractures.
However, there are certain instances when a sugar-tong splint is not the best-case scenario. This type of splint should be avoided if you have an open fracture, for example, where your broken bones may have already pierced the surface of your skin. You should also avoid sugar-tong splinting if you have a neurovascular compromise or impending compartment syndrome.
While using a sugar-tong splint, it is important to always keep the area as dry and clean as possible. Avoid moving the splint once it has been positioned on as this might risk making your injury worse. Only remove the splint once you have sought proper medical advice from your doctor.