Limb injuries

A limb injury is harm to any of your limbs, including your:

• legs
• arms
• toes
• fingers

Types of limb injuries include:

• fractured bones — cracked or broken bones such as a broken arm
• dislocations — a joint injury where your bone has been moved or dislodged such as a dislocated shoulder
• sprains — an injury to your ligaments such as a sprained ankle
• strains — an injury to your muscles or tendons such as a calf strain
• injuries to your nails
• bruising — bleeding in or under your skin

The symptoms of a limb injury will depend on the type of injury:

• Fractured bones — severe pain, restricted movement in the injured limb, abnormal shape of the limb, redness and swelling.
• Dislocation — swelling, bruising, abnormal shape of the joint, weakness and pain.
• Sprain — swelling, pain, bruising in the area and loss of mobility.
• Strain — sudden pain, tenderness and loss of strength.
• Bruising — skin discolouration caused by bleeding in or under the skin.

If you have a limb injury, you may also have damage to your nerves or blood vessels.

Symptoms of nerve damage include:

• pins and needles
• numbness
• your skin feeling hot or cold around the injured area

If there is damage to blood vessels, you may have:

• cold skin
• pale skin
• numbness

In some cases, limb symptoms happen because there is something else wrong. For example:

• pain felt in your shoulder may be a sign of a heart problem
• pain in your buttocks may indicate sciatica (a compressed nerve in the back)
• pain in your feet and hands may be a sign of peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage)

See your doctor if:

• you think you may have a broken bone or dislocation (DO NOT try to move a bone that appears out of place)
• your limb feels stiff or difficult to move
• it hurts to put weight through your limb
• you think you may have nerve damage or blood vessel damage
• your injury does not get better over time, or gets worse
• there are symptoms of infection such as pain, swelling or discharge (pus)

When to seek urgent care

Get urgent care by going to your nearest hospital or calling triple zero (000) and asking for an ambulance, if:

• your limb is twisted or bent
• there is bone coming through your skin
• your skin feels cold or sweaty
• you are having difficulty breathing
• you have a fever (a temperature of 38℃ or higher)
• you have severe pain

The main causes of limb injuries include:

• accidents playing sports
• accidents while doing manual labour
• having a fall

Serious limb injuries, such as fractured bones and dislocations, are often caused by a large force such as:

• something hitting your body
• a heavy fall
• a car crash

Minor limb injuries can happen when:

• your muscle or ligament is stretched past its normal range, such as when you roll your ankle
• there is an impact to your limb, such as slamming your finger in a door

Your doctor can diagnose different types of limb injuries. They will ask about how the injury happened and also examine the area. You may need further tests to identify any damage caused by the injury. This may include an:

• x-ray
• ultrasound
• MRI scan

First aid at home

You can start treating a limb injury while you wait for medical help.

If you are bleeding:

• Cover the area with a clean cloth or bandage.
• Apply constant pressure to stop the bleeding.

If you think you have a fracture:

• Immobilise (keep still) your injured limb by placing a padded splint or sling along the injured limb. If it's a leg injury, immobilise your foot and ankle as well.
• Keep the splint in place by wrapping bandages above and below the injury to stop movement.
• Elevate (raise up) the limb to reduce swelling.

If you think you have a dislocation:

• If it's a shoulder injury, try to support your arm in a comfortable way.
• If it's a wrist injury, support your wrist in a sling.
• Put a cold pack on the injured joint. Avoid direct contact with the skin by placing fabric (such as a towel) under the cold pack.

If the limb becomes numb, pale or cold to touch, call an ambulance on triple zero (000).

If you think you have a strain or sprain:

• Avoid moving the limb.
• Apply an icepack to the injured area for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Avoid direct contact with the skin by placing fabric (such as a towel) under the cold pack.
• Bandage the area firmly.
• Keep the injured limb raised.

Bleeding or nail injuries should be washed and then covered with a sterile, non-stick dressing.

Read more about what items to have in a first aid kit.

Medical treatment

Treatment for a limb injury will depend on what kind of injury you have.

Fractures are treated by immobilising the limb with a splint, brace or plaster cast. Your doctor will tell you how long you should wear the cast. If the injury has caused your bones to move out of place, surgery may be needed to move them back into the correct position.

Dislocations are treated by putting the joint back in place, followed by several weeks of rest. Don't try to do this yourself. Always get medical help for a dislocation.

If you are in pain you can take simple pain-relief medicines, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about what is right for you.

Your doctor may recommend physiotherapy and rehabilitation to help you recover from a limb injury.

Most fractures will not cause complications. Once your cast is removed, your skin may feel dry and itchy. Wash your skin with warm water and apply moisturiser. Check with your doctor how soon you can return to sport and other activities following a fracture.

Most sprains, strains and dislocations will heal without complications. However, you may have:

• a higher chance of the same injury happening again
• stiffness in the injured area

A physiotherapist can help you manage this.

Warm up

Warming up prepares your body for exercise and helps lower the risk of injury. A good warm up will slowly raise your heart rate and prepare your muscles for activity.

Listen to your body

If an activity hurts, stop straight away. It's best to rest and speak to an exercise professional or doctor, to make sure you don't hurt yourself.

Wear protective gear

If you're playing contact sports, make sure you wear the right protective gear. Wrist guards and shin-pads can help protect you from limb injuries.

For more information about the initial treatment of fractures and dislocations see the St John Ambulance first aid fact sheet.

You can find out more about preventing injury at:

• Kidsafe Australia (Opens in new tab)
• Safe sport for kids (Opens in new tab)
• Fall prevention

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.