Broken wrist, how long does the pain last after removal of the cast?

Oh you have had a nasty time too Ali, they never had to manipulate mine, I would have had to stuff my hand in my my mouth too, had they done that. I think you have been great, trying to keep up some kind of holiday spirit when going through all that. I think using other hand to move the fingers is good idea, I am doing that too. As long as you keep persevering a little with excersises that will get you there. Propper physio, have you got an appointment for that. They can tell you what excersises must be done, my sister went and she has done well under their advice. 

Maureen

My lord Ali....you've been through it...can't believe the attitude in Italy....so you had surgery just 2 weeks ago but they put screws in and not pins....so the screws and plate are now your splint/cast! You'll need another operation to get those out if indeed they ever come out, which usually they do. 

Your situation is is very different from mine...I no longer have any metal in my wrist and the fractured radius has now healed...so I'm not fighting against the fracture or steel when trying to exercise my hand. I'm fighting against taught tendons, weak muscle and damaged tissue and nerves....when I do physio, I just push the exercises to the point of discomfort and repeat. 

Dont expect much to begin with and what you say is quite normal it would seem. I felt like I was wearing a tight glove and couldn't bend my fingers let alone make a fist...I couldn't twist my arm or flex my wrist in any direction and my thumb was just impossible to move.

Now, one week yesterday following pin removal, I can do a lot more as I've described in earlier posts. Take it easy, you still got foreign bodies in there...dunno what the German health care is like but I'm guessing it must be top notch and they should've advised you on the extent of exercises you need to do...yep...it's slow and sometimes painful but just like me you gotta go through this process...day by day, little by little....it'll come good...I've not found anywhere, in any blog or forum where it hasn't...

Thank you! It's so good to get different ideas. Truthfully, I may well have 'pins' rather than screws in my wrist, I think that's done to translations. I was initially told the plate etc would be there for good, but after the op, the surgeon told me they might be removed after a year or if the plate comes to the surface.

i will get physio but not sure when as the doctor said it was still too early this week. One thing that interested/worried me is that he told me moving/using my arm/hand will help to reduce the swelling. But it feels like a vicious circle as I'm sure that the swelling is preventing much movement! So little and often seems the answer.

I was told too keep my arm high, when sleeping on at least three pillows. When awake to keep arm raised from the elbow. I looked online too lots of hints, keep arm up, when walking about by holding oposite shoulder with fingers, all this helps reduce swelling. Mind you I am not doing much walking about. What did we do before internet. 

Maureen

Hi Ali, Everything you have described is what I went through. I broke my wrist badly last Nov 2016, had a plate & 9 screws put in.

However, starting physio is vital for recovery but unfortunately mine was delayed through numerous reasons.

Last Tues I had the plate & screws removed because I had very little movement in my fingers & thumb. My wrist was almost rigid so I had little choice but to go ahead with surgery.

I have seen slight improvement in my fingers & thumb. I still have to use my good hand to bend the digits to make a fist & it is quite painful.

As for my wrist theres seems little improvement. I was due to have stitches removed today & start physio but the physio was ill & no one to take over to help me.

My heart sank because any delay just sets me back.

All I can tell you is do all the exercises they give you & keep at it. It will feel tedious & painful at times but its vital for recovery.

Good luck in your recovery

Hi Elaine,

i really, really hope your situation is not like mine, and now the plate has been removed you start to see real improvements.

On Monday I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Acute Bone Atrophy (Sudeck's) in my hand. Basically, it isn't responding as it should, still really swollen and achey, Just over 9 weeks after my accident and 7 weeks after surgery. It's far too sensitive - even laying it on furry cushions (and cats) makes it feel like it's being cut. I'm not in agony, or even experiencing sharp pains, but constant discomfort. None of that had overly bothered me, as I knew I had bad fractures,band it didn't seem so out of the ordinary. But, the latest X-Ray shows that the bones in my hand and fingers are atrophying - where they showed up as bright white in the first X-Ray's, they're now only a dull grey.

the doctors have told me that the damage isn't irreversible - words just went over my head after that: things like "we need to bring you in to the hospital for intensive treatment a as an inpatient" When? "Now". For how long? "As long as it takes" - this was later clarified as being between 1-3 weeks. Basically there going to anaesthetise my arm for several days at a time via a catheter under my arm, which should block all feeling and allow for much more physio.

i have delayed the treatment until next week as I've had so much on this week. So now I'm on 600 Ibruprofen 3x a day - together with esomeprazole to protect my stomach. They offered me more painkillers as well, which I turned down, although, I'm not sure that's the best decision as I can't sleep but it's only 7 days to go. 

so I don't really know what to think or what to expect now. I don't know if this Sudeck's is my fault, of just one of those things - I think the latter, but there is actually very little online about it (from a patient's perspective, anyway). I have little idea about what intensive therapy really means. Could it really take 3 weeks? Surely they won't work on it over the weekends? My questions are endless (at the time, I was struck dumb!). And I'm actually quite concerned as to what movement I will get back, and the extent of possible long term damage. For now though, I'm intending to enjoy my weekend, and just go with the flow!

i hope your prognosis is much better!

Oh Ali, I deeply sympathise with you. As if breaking the bones isn't bad enough to now have this happen.

It's been a very long 10 months from break, op & to where I am now. I have hit the highs when I could move just a few cms to the lows of not getting any further & for my physio to stop until removal of plate & screws was performed.

I wish the local anaesthetic I had could have lasted for days so that the physio could manipulate my wrist & digits for much longer.

I do have slightly more bend in my fingers but still cnt make a fist without using my other hand. I have been doing all exercises since I was discharged on 19 Sept' but not on my wrist as this is still heavily bandaged.

My appointment for removal of dressing & stitches was cancelled yesterday...by the hospital due to staff shortage.

My heart sank!! More delays as I have had since the initial break which I feel has contributed to the state & lack of movement I have now.

I did suffer with CRPS after 1st surgery but it did ease. I was on Gabapenten & co dydramol. Not a good combo for me.

I am now on Ibuprofen 3 times a day plus I can take paracetamol inbetween.

I now am due to have stitches removed next Monday & my physio will start straight after.

I am using my hand/wrist as much as possible but already I can feel things stiffening up....this disheartens me big time.

I pray you are successful with your next treatment. I have never heard of it before & will google it later.

Sounds very extreme but if you are like me I would try anything....who knows it could be me next!.

Il let you know my outcome but please keep me updated as to how you get on. I have my (good) fingers crossed for you. Good luck.

Forgot to mention...my doc at outpatients also told me my bone density was not white but greyish.

This didnt mean much to me at the time so I never questioned it. I shall bring it up on my next appointment.

I wond3r is it the same as yourself or just the weakness in the bones since the break. I was told to take Vit C & D. I have not taken anything as yet....

Things have to get better for me to perk up. I was going to ask my doctor to give me MUA to do more manipulation on my stiff joints if this round of physio does not work. I pray it does but that will be my back up in case.

Take care....& my thoughts are with you..

Elaine,

I can't help thinking your situation is, as you say remarkably similar to mine. In that case, I hope you get a bout of intensive physio too. Funnily enough, I went for my normal physio today, and had a different therapist who was much more experienced. She wasn't so sure that I even had Sudeck's (though she didn't see the X-Ray's) but by looking at my hand she felt even if I did have it, it was only in the early stages. She couldn't work out why my fingers are so stiff until I told her about my first cast (my wrist set like a hissing snake) and she thinks that's at the root of at least some my problems.

i do wonder about doctor's sometimes - how would we as laymen know what it means about theX-Ray colour of our bones changing? To be honest, I've found it really hard to decipher them anyway.

vey best of luck with your treatment, and I'll let you know what happens to me.

Thank you for getting back to me. I did google Sudeck's & its so uncannily similar.

I was told at my 1st appointment after initial break I had CRPS which is similar in symptoms to what u have been diagnosed with.

I will be asking more questions next week & if no improvement with the physio hand specialist I shall ask about manipulation for sure.

Right now I know in my heart my wrist has not improved but Il see for sure on my visit next Monday.

I just need to know that I can & will get movement back in my rigid wrist.

Why has nobody taken notice when one registrar mentioned my pale bone xrays....then to leave it 10 months before any optional treatment considered.

We all heal at different rates I know but it just disheartens me in case its now too late.

I shall let you know the outcome..

I've googled too, and I think that they're exactly the same, different names for the same thing. I had never heard of either of them before. But, what concerns me is why, when you were diagnosed so early, haven't they treated you for it? I think you should ask: very best of luck. As bad as I feel for you, it's nice not to feel alone. I read somewhere that this only happens in about every 2,000 traumatic injuries, and they don't know why. We're the lucky ones, I guess...

Tbh I will ask, they were so concerned when they diagnosed me with CRPS the surgeon actually took a photo on his mobile phone to show his students ....alarm bells should have rung then.

I certainly will be asking lots of questions because I need to feel hopeful again, something I have lost atm.

Guess Il be off work yet again!! Im nearly 62 & have 4yrs left to work....oh the joys lol.

Seems such a long time ago I forgot to mention. With 6/8 weeks of the initial op on my right wrist I developed FS in my right shoulder. I knew it was frozen because I had it in my left shoulder 2 yrs ago.

This did hinder some recovery with my physio because of lack & painful movement.

My FS was treated with Hydrodilitation in mid May 2017 so again physio was needed to treat this problem also.

Its been quite a knock on effect & most definitely delayed my recovery I feel.

Anyway, shoulders about 90% back to normal...just discomfort at front of shoulder because of muscles, tendons etc & some lack of use.

I feel like an old wreck lol.

Keep your arm moving to prevent FS.

Hello Ali:  how are you doing after six months?  I just found this website today. I broke both wrists = double trouble!  I just got casts off today to be replaced by splints and tensor bandages for two more weeks.  

I have read through a lot of comments and yours really caught my attention because I have explained to people dad feels like I have handcuffs around my wrists that are on way too tight. I also get these frequent heat surges into both hands. I mentioned this to the doctors today and they were puzzled asked they had not heard of this before. I like to think of it as my body sending lots of healing blood and energy to help repair my injured wrist's.  

I know the recovery Will take many months and yes it is important to push through the pain just a little bit when doing physiotherapy exercises and do this repeatedly over and over and over and over.  I put my first appointment with the physiotherapist for Monday, two days from now.  Wish me luck!

 

YEs this sounds so familiar.....I broke my wrist Jan 3 surgery Jam 8 ....i have good movement but at times it completely seizes up....i had carpal tunnel surgery feb 28 ...as well....lots of inflammation...Im hoping by now youve seen some improvement and gotten relief ...cause that will give me some hope ...you do have to force yourself through it..keep moving it...stretching it ....yes I too feel like ive got this bracelet I wish would fall off...