When should I wear a sling?

Slings are used for lots of different reasons. There are different types of sling, and the way they are fitted can give different parts of the arm different amounts of support. Exactly when you should wear yours therefore depends on why you've been given it, and the instructions from your surgical team should always take priority.

Why do I need a sling after an operation?

After many shoulder operations, the sling is there primarily to protect your arm — stopping you suddenly reaching for something or getting into an awkward position without thinking. It also provides comfort and acts as a useful visual signal to other people that they need to take care around your arm.

A sling isn't necessarily meant to keep you "sling-shaped". For many patients, being able to take it off safely for prescribed exercises and to straighten and move the elbow is an important part of recovery.

When can I take it off?

This depends on the operation you've had. For many of my postoperative patients, I describe the sling as particularly important at times when you're less aware of what your arm is doing. You may be able to remove it for your exercises, washing and dressing, and at other times when you can consciously keep the arm in a safe position.

Your surgeon or physiotherapist will tell you if your operation requires different precautions.

Should I sleep in my sling?

After many operations, yes — particularly during the early stages of recovery. When you're asleep you can't consciously control where your arm goes, so the sling can help prevent you inadvertently moving into a position that needs to be avoided.

How long you need to sleep in it depends on your particular operation.

What about a sling for a fracture or other injury?

A sling prescribed after acute trauma may be doing something different.

As well as providing comfort, it may position the arm so that gravity acts in a particular way and helps a fracture heal in a satisfactory position. In those circumstances, how you wear the sling can be particularly important. Your treating team should explain how they want it fitted and when it can safely be removed. Most often though it is still important to move your elbow to prevent elbow stiffness.

Why do some slings look completely different?

There are many different designs. Patients who have been treated in other countries or in different hospitals sometimes arrive with slings that look very different from the ones we commonly use locally.

Don't worry if your sling doesn't look like somebody else's. Different designs support the arm in different positions, and the appropriate sling depends on the operation or injury being treated.

If you're unsure how or when you should be wearing your sling, check the instructions you were given after your operation or injury, or ask your surgical or physiotherapy team.