Trusted Treatment for Dislocation & Elbow, Wrist, & Hand Fractures in Arizona
Your hands and arms have many delicate bones that can easily become dislocated or fractured (broken). Leading a healthy lifestyle that includes steps to maintain bone density as you age can help you avoid these injuries.
Treatment for hand, wrist, and elbow fractures and dislocations at Dignity Health focuses on relieving your pain and restoring functionality and movement. We provide complete care, including orthopedic physical therapy, nutritional counseling, and pain management to help your body heal. Our board-certified doctors use the latest technologies and treatment innovations to help care for dislocations and wrist, elbow, and hand fractures in Arizona.
Call 855.401.8045 or use our online Find a Doctor tool to locate an orthopedic expert in your area. If your fracture or dislocation is the result of a sports injury, our sports medicine program can help you get back on your feet.
Causes of Hand, Wrist, & Elbow Dislocations & Fractures
Trauma causes most elbow, wrist, and hand dislocations and fractures. The bone can come out of a joint or break due to a forceful impact from a collision while playing sports or from a car accident or fall. Certain factors increase your risk, including:
- Engaging in activities or contact sports with a high fall risk, including gymnastics and ice skating
- Low bone density (osteoporosis or osteopenia)
- Medications that can reduce bone density, including common drugs such as anticoagulants (warfarin), loop diuretics (water pills), and proton pump inhibitor antacids
- Medical conditions that make you prone to falling, such as multiple sclerosis, or affect your sense of balance
- Smoking, which contributes to osteoporosis
Preventing Wrist, Elbow, & Hand Dislocations & Fractures
Help prevent fractures by engaging in practices that promote bone health. These include:
- Exercising regularly
- Wearing protective gear while participating dangerous activities or sports
- Quitting smoking
- Getting a bone density scan (if you are a woman over age 65)
- Reviewing your medications with your doctor to ensure they are not affecting your bone health
Treatment of Hand, Elbow, & Wrist Fractures & Dislocations at Dignity Health
Your treatment plan will depend on the severity of the dislocation or fracture. If you have a simple break in your arm, for example, you may need to wear a cast for six to eight weeks. You may or may not need physical therapy. A complex shoulder fracture with torn ligaments and multiple broken bones, however, may require minimally invasive arthroscopic shoulder surgery or even open shoulder surgery followed by weeks of physical therapy.
Your doctor will also consider your overall health status. Recovery is nearly always more complicated for people with poor bone density, including people with osteoporosis.
Dignity Health provides compassionate care for dislocations and wrist, elbow, and hand fractures in Arizona.