Every now and then a ring gets stuck on my finger and it’s pretty scary. I live about 20 minutes from an ER but I also don’t want it cut off.

A trick I’ve used for years is soap or another lubricant to slip the ring off but it can still be very painful to remove the ring, and can damage the tissues of your finger. And if swelling is too bad it doesn’t work at all!

I came across this video on Facebook and I wanted to share it with you now.

It’s not a completely new idea, but most medical clinics still primarily cut off rings. This technique could be much more comfortable for patients, and it preserves their valuable jewelry in the process as well.

What they do is wrap the finger with a thin elastic band to force the swelling down, then feed the end of the elastic under the ring and gently unwrap the elastic wiggling the ring off the finger along the way.

It would be a good idea to sit down and practice this technique at home. Just be mindful of how tightly you wrap the elastic because you’re only practicing!

I’d save this video to your harddrive if you can download it!