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When and how to wear your sling

You must wear your sling at all times, including night time (6 to 8 weeks in the sling depending on the type of replacement surgery you have had). The only times you may take it off are:

  • Dressing, bathing, and exercising your hand, wrist, and elbow
  • Performing therapy exercises after you have begun formal therapy
  • While sitting (and awake), with your forearm supported by pillows

There are two ways you can learn to put on and take off the sling:  

Option 1:

  1. Place the sling on a high table or countertop with the trough open.
  2. Place your surgery arm into the trough and fasten the two trough straps to secure your arm in trough
  3. Fasten the waist belt.
  4. Reach behind with nonsurgical arm and move arm through loop in the remaining strap. (This will be a similar motion to putting on a backpack).
  5. Fasten the buckle in front to secure the strap.
  6. Fasten the thumb strap.
  7. Ensure the sling is positioning the operative arm directly in front of you.
  8. When removing the sling, be sure to just release the quick-clip buckles at the waist and shoulder straps and the short straps over the trough and thumb - Do not remove the Velcro from the long straps.

Option 2:

  1. Place the sling on a high table or countertop with the trough open.
  2. Insert your non-operative arm through the only “loop” in the straps
  3. Rotate your body to allow you to place your surgery arm into the trough of the sling.
  4. Use the hand of the non-operative side to fasten the two straps over trough, and fasten the waist and shoulder buckles. Fasten the thumb strap.
  5. Ensure the sling is positioning the operative arm directly in front of you
  6. When removing the sling, be sure to just release the quick-clip buckles at the waist and shoulder straps and the short straps over the trough and thumb - Do not remove the Velcro from the long straps.
Next: Bathing instructions