Dislocated Elbow

[Michelle KochStudent]

Okay, peeps, real life study here, as we speak. Mr. Fundog just called. He went to “Town” for a work related event. While leaving his car and walking across a lawn, he rolled his ankle in a divet and fell, dislocating his elbow. He’s a stubborn idiot, but I love him anyway. :wub: He reduced his elbow himself, and went to the event. :wall: I have finally managed to convince him to go to the urgent care clinic, but meanwhile his elbow has swollen and he is in immense pain. I’m 50 miles away and cant readily go to him.

Anyway: I’m planning to make a liniment of arnica and a fresh pureed habanero pepper. What else should I put in there? Since it will have been several hours before he gets home, any bleeding to the area will already be clotted, so I’m not sure yarrow will be helpful in this case.

We do live in a state where the use of cannabis is legal, so pain control is covered. He has a severe chronic pain condition as it is, and recently ditched his (eight years!) prescription opiates in favor of organic pain control, so he will be refusing anything the doctors try to push on him. The cannabis will also aid the other herbs in repairing the tissue damage.

I don’t have any comfrey. I do have calendula, and echinacea. What about feverfew? For some reason that plant is tugging my sleeve. Apparently, she wants a job to do….

What else? Anyone else have any good ideas? Thanks.

[Michelle KochStudentTopic Author]

Update: it’s a broken radial head. He’s in a splint for now. I have a liniment infusing. I put arnica, habanero, dried cannabis leaves, and escoba de la vibora in vodka, blended it up into a soup, and it can infuse until he returns.

I will also put some habanero into a cup of broth for him to drink.

I need to order some comfrey asap, To help his fracture heal.

[Michelle KochStudentTopic Author]

New update. He’s home now, and he is in a soft cast, which has to stay on until he sees the orthopedist. But he also has a sprained ankle, and I can put liniment on that, as well as slipping herbs (capsaicin) into his beverages.

The radiologist was very impressed with the quality of the reduction of the dislocation, and the physician’s assistant was astonished when he refused her script for Norco tens.

He is in excruciating pain, needless to say. 🙁

[IdahoHerbalist]

Our Joint formula is what I took for my knee when I hurt it last September. Believe it or not HEAT helped it more than cold. You will have to experiment to see what works. Our Rest Easy is what we suggest for pain.

You will already be getting or giving him comfrey (we have).

Scratching my brain for more. Patrick will most likely chime in when he gets a chance.

[chitalpaStudent]

Ouch! Hope you feel better soon, Fundog.

[Michelle KochStudentTopic Author]

Thanks, chitalpa. That’s very kind of you. Despite the pain, Mr. Fundog is in good spirits and keeping his sense of humor.

[Michelle KochStudentTopic Author]

Hidey-ho everyone (said in my best Kermit The Frog voice). Mr. Fundog saw the orthopedist today. It turns out the fracture isn’t quite as bad as the urgent care clinic implied: he only broke off a tiny bone fragment off the end cap of the radius (That’s not bad at all!), so his main injury is the dislocation that occurred, which he reduced himself on site -a remarkable feat, I must tell you, for anyone who has never suffered a dislocation! What is bad, is that little tiny bone fragment fell off the radial end cap, and dropped into the joint space. This could potentially cause issues with flexion and extension (bending and straightening– for Stephen, lol 😛 ). It should reabsorb in time, but Mr. Fundog does not have a good history of reabsorbing bone fragments– his other elbow has a fragment floating around causing pain, and so does his ankle (which he has broken three times!). *If* he does not reabsorb that little bone fragment, then the orthopedist will have to do an arthroscopy (joint surgery with a tiny camera and forceps) to retrieve it.

He does still have to wear a hinged brace, keeping his arm bent at a 90 degree angle, and he will go back for a follow-up in two weeks. The good part of this is we don’t have to wrap his arm in a trash bag, and he can take the brace off to shower, as long as he supports his arm against his rib cage. I still need to help him wash his good arm, and his back, and help him dry off.

So…. I received the comfrey tincture I ordered in the mail today, but I am worried that it’s uber healing qualities may cause that tiny bone fragment to just reattach itself in the wrong place, rather than disappear, like we need it to…. What do y’all think? Has anyone had any experience in this?

[IdahoHerbalist]

Who is Stephen?

[IdahoHerbalist]

SteVen thinking out loud here: We have herbs that are REALLY good at breaking up and dissolving stones (calsification) in the urinary tract. I wonder if that would be useful in doing that for a bone chip. Applied directly to the site and taken internally for a period of time to see what happens. Might make the doctor scratch his head when the chip is GONE!!!! :confused:

You should put your “one more observation” in the thread where you are discussing that issue. If you don’t I WILL!!!

[Michelle KochStudentTopic Author]

Oops, Sorry SteVen. I was debating with myself, trying to remember if you have a ph or a v. :confused:

Anyway, would you please? I was thinking that needed to go over there, but it’s all inter related, so I just kept on jabbering. :blink:

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

IdahoHerbalist wrote: SteVen thinking out loud here: We have herbs that are REALLY good at breaking up and dissolving stones (calsification) in the urinary tract. I wonder if that would be useful in doing that for a bone chip. Applied directly to the site and taken internally for a period of time to see what happens. Might make the doctor scratch his head when the chip is GONE!!!! :confused:

You should put your “one more observation” in the thread where you are discussing that issue. If you don’t I WILL!!!

Urinary stone dissolving herbs (antilithics) won’t do anything topically to dissolve a bone fragment.

Fundog, I share your concerns that the comfrey may accelerate healing and cause some issues you don’t want in this particular case. If it doesn’t dissolve, fish it out with an arthroscope.

Doc

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

[Michelle KochStudentTopic Author]

Good to know, thanks for the confirmation, Doc.

[IdahoHerbalist]

Doc Jones wrote:

SteVen thinking out loud here: We have herbs that are REALLY good at breaking up and dissolving stones (calsification) in the urinary tract. I wonder if that would be useful in doing that for a bone chip. Applied directly to the site and taken internally for a period of time to see what happens. Might make the doctor scratch his head when the chip is GONE!!!! :confused:

Urinary stone dissolving herbs (antilithics) won’t do anything topically to dissolve a bone fragment.

Doc

You did not address if it would work INTERNALLY?

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

IdahoHerbalist wrote:

SteVen thinking out loud here: We have herbs that are REALLY good at breaking up and dissolving stones (calsification) in the urinary tract. I wonder if that would be useful in doing that for a bone chip. Applied directly to the site and taken internally for a period of time to see what happens. Might make the doctor scratch his head when the chip is GONE!!!! :confused:

Urinary stone dissolving herbs (antilithics) won’t do anything topically to dissolve a bone fragment.

Doc

You did not address if it would work INTERNALLY?

It would not. The mechanisms for removing rocks from the urinary tract do not, in any way, translate to removing bone fragments in the elbow (or elsewhere).

Arthroscopes are quite good for this sort of thing.

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

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