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Date issued: December 2022

Review date: December 2024

Ref: A-550/NB/ED/Pulled Elbow

PDF:  Pulled Elbow final December 2022.pdf [pdf] 174KB

What is a pulled elbow?

• It means that one of the bones in the elbow (the radius) is not lined up

• It is not the same thing as a dislocation

• It can happen at any time on either arm until your child is about 7 or 8 years old

• It can happen if your child’s arm gets accidentally pulled or if the child lands on it awkwardly.

What is the treatment?

• The doctor or practitioner can usually make the bone go back in its proper place

• This means that he or she has to move the elbow and it may be painful for a short period

• Normally your child will be able to use their arm fairly soon after this.

Should I give my child painkillers?

• Yes. You can give your child medicine such as paracetamol (e.g., Calpol) and/or Junior Ibuprofen (e.g., Nurofen) to relieve any pain.

Paracetamol: Give amount recommended on box regularly every four to six hours, a maximum of four doses a day

Ibuprofen: Give amount recommended on box regularly every eight hours, a maximum of three doses a day.  Side-effects sometimes occur with anti-inflammatory painkillers. The most common problem in children is that they can make asthma worse, so they should be used under instruction from a doctor in children with asthma. They can also cause inflammation of the stomach, and rarely kidney problems

Is there anything I shouldn’t do?

• For a few days do not pull on the child’s arm, e.g., during play or when holding their hand whilst walking

Will they need a follow-up appointment?

• No, but please come back to the Emergency Department if:

• Your child’s elbow is still painful after a day or so or they stop using it

• You are worried about them

• You think it has happened again.