Nursemaid’s Elbow: How to Treat and Prevent

Nursemaid\'s elbow, or radial head subluxation, is a frequent injury in children, usually when the arm is yanked or pulled abruptly. This usually occurs when an adult tugs a child\'s arm while lifting them up or when they are being stopped from falling. The condition entails the subluxation of the radial bone in the elbow joint, which results in pain, inability to move the arm, and elbow tenderness. Treatment of nursemaid\'s elbow is normally straightforward and usually can be conducted by a healthcare provider. The physician will carefully reseat the dislocated bone through a method called reduction. This requires rotating and bending the arm in a certain fashion to seat the radial head correctly. When the bone is reduced, the child should have instantaneous relief and should be able to use the arm normally again.