“Broken arm?”
On the 5th, I went to the ER because my left upper arm was swollen and painful. I had x-rays and a doppler test, everything came back no findings, probably a pulled or strained muscle. The swelling is down but the pain is worse, plus it does a snapping sound when I move it. Sometimes it's so bad I get nauseous and the pain is increasing down to my hand. I feel that a fracture didn't show on the x-rays at that time. My mom says that a pulled muscle takes forever to heal and would be wasting a trip to ER. I think/feel that it's broken and should go. Now in your opinion what should I do? Machines mess up or didn't get the right position, etc. It hurts so much right now that I can't get to sleep. Please let me know what you think.
Female | 52 years old
3 Answers
Go to see a local orthopedic surgeon. Do not go back to the ER. See your local orthopod.
You should have a follow-up visit with an orthopedic surgeon. Fractures may not show for 2 weeks after the initial injury, so a second X-ray 2 weeks after the injury will help clear that concern. It also may be a soft tissue-related injury, which your orthopedic surgeon would be efficient at diagnosing.
Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD
Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD
Don't go to the ER unless it's an emergency. Go to an orthopedist and get an MRI.
