Warning to all Parents!

So, with this nice fall weather we have had, when it isn't raining, we are outside! Friday evening we took a little walk after dinner with the Crawfords, just around our block, because Lizzie and Addie were riding the tricycle and scooter. As we approached our house, Justin and I began holding Elaine's hands and counting 1,2,3 and then swinging her between us. She thought it was a blast... that is until something popped! Elaine winced briefly and then just kind of whined until we got up to the door. Once we were inside, she was just a little fussy and refused to use her right arm to reach for her cup, play, etc. As I put on her pjs, I could tell she was uncomfortable, but I was unable to localize the pain, other than her right side. We decided to give her some Tylenol and see if we could get her comfortable. She went to sleep quickly, and we began researching. Thinking it was a shoulder issue, I posted our situation on Facebook and quickly began to get helpful responses from friends! I was able to talk to a friend who is a pediatric chiropractor and get some advice. Then a couple of friends with little ones who had been through a similar experience pointed to the possibility of the elbow rather than the shoulder. The more we read the more we leaned toward the elbow. Elaine woke up once and we gave her some motrin and applied Arnica to both her shoulder and elbow to reduce swelling. A chat with a friend who is a PT comforted me about letting her sleep rather than racing to the ER. I did however go in to check on her several times in the night to ensure that her hands were not clammy (a sign that blood flow is not inhibited). After waking Saturday morning, Elaine was only really fussy when she was frustrated by her inability to use her right arm, so off we headed to Pam's house (pedi chiro). Pam agreed that the elbow was the main issue and gently moved things back to their rightful location. While the relief wasn't immediate, it was clear that Elaine was able to use her right side- just not her first choice. After about an hour of being home, Elaine was using her right arm like nothing had ever happened! Oh how we LOVE Pam!!!!!

The moral of the story here is DON'T SWING your children by their hands! Little ones have weak elbows, and then once they get older their shoulders are at higher risk. Please learn from our mistake:)