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Medical Author:

William Freudenthal, MD

Coauthor:

James V Ritchie, MD

Medical Editor:

Marian Gambrell, MD

Medical Editor:

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD

Medical Editor:

Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP

Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP

Dr. Balentine received his undergraduate degree from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. He attended medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine graduating in1983. He completed his internship at St. Joseph's Hospital in Philadelphia and his Emergency Medicine residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in the Bronx, where he served as chief resident.

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Broken Shoulder Blade Treatment

Self-Care at Home

Because shoulder blade fractures are often associated with severe, potentially life-threatening injuries, they should be evaluated in a hospital's emergency department.

• Immobilize the arm immediately. Don't move it. This can be accomplished with a sling looped over the neck and the bent elbow, which holds the affected arm close to the body.
  
  
• Apply ice to the area to reduce swelling and discomfort.
  
  
• Apply ice for 20 minutes at a time, and avoid direct contact of the ice to the skin.