How To Use Shoulder Supports Video

Slings and shoulder supports are good devices for minor shoulder strains. Learn how to use shoulder supports and stay fit in this sports medicine video.

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Rest
Use a sling
Buy the right size
Keep elbow locked

About this Author

Mike Vera is an athletic trainer the Roger Clemens Institute at Memorial Hermann Hospital. The Clemens Institute is the largest, most comprehensive medically based sports program in the Southwest.

MIKE VERA: I'd like to talk to you for a few minutes on shoulder supports. Obviously, if you've had an injury to your shoulder, there are several mechanisms. You lift something wrong. You swing hard. Perhaps, you're working really hard in the yard, and you feel some pain in your shoulder. If you decide not to see the physician, there are several things you can do. Obviously, one is rest it; over-the-counter remedies can help with the pain management; but the easiest and simplest thing is a good old sling. And a couple of things about using the sling is when you do use it, you make sure that you get your size. They are sized in different ways. That when you do use it, you keep your elbow firmly in the pocket of it and keep your hand elevated. You want to make sure that as you put the sling around yourself, it doesn't irritate your neck and that it does provide relief. Obviously, there are a lot of ways to do it. Some people may use a triangular bandage, but this is the most commercially available and the easiest one to do, because it's very, very easy to adjust. It's washable. You can use it as long as you need it.

How to Use Shoulder Supports Video

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