Broken wrist, how long does the pain last after removal of the cast?
Posted , 35 users are following.
I had a bad colles radius fracture 7 weeks ago requring a 'bier block' manoevre (agony) and have been out of plaster now for 9 days. I am doing excercises which I have found on the internet as there is a 5 week wait for physiotherapy. My main worry is the pain. Can anyone tell me how long I can expect the pain to go on? It feels relentless especially at night when I wake up wiith it burning terribly in my wrist. During the day it is there but not so bad, especially if I am walking. The other worry is that although I feel I am getting more movement with the excersises I am a long way from being able to form a fist. When I attempt a fist my fingers feel tight and sore. My hand is weak and I am unable to cut food yet as it is too painful. I don't find pain killers help much, and they make me feel groggy so I only take them at night and as soon as they wear off I'm awake with agonising pain. I also have bad aching in the end of my thumb. I'd be interested to hear exeperiences of anyone who has come out of this, if you can remember how long it was before the pain and discomfort went and normal life can be resumed! I am a 66 year old woman. It's very frustrating to still not be able to do normal tasks like opening a jar or do some gardening..
3 likes, 202 replies
ooops64 chloe02837
Posted
Hi to all
Well Humpty this has been an education, I thought the pins stayed in, something to look forward to then. My sister broke her wrist falling last year, June 2016 she was 74 I asked her recently how her wrist was, she said fine just still areas of numbness. She does'nt have any problems with her hand at all. I aim for that too. I have ordered Arnica tablets online, they are supposed to help with bruising and swelling, ordered Arnica gell for massaging, after cast and pins removed. I sleep very well I keep my arm raised on three pillows. I have my squeeze balls already delivered. I am putting off my finger excersises till later, as it does start to ache when I do those. Best wishes to all on here.
Maureen
Humpty_Dumpty chloe02837
Posted
Hi Maureen...if yer pins are sticking out through your skin, they'll be removed....you should be having them dressed every other day or twice a week...that's what they started doing with me but I'm an ex nurse specialised in orthopaedics and know if pins are good, leave well alone...so I stopped the regular dressings by a visiting nurse.
I can't imagine you would think they left the pins in if yours were like mine....are you having dressings, can you see the pins.....if the pins are inside, you'll have a wound with stitches to come out and the pins may stay in....I'm no expert but if you can see the pins, they'll be coming out.....
ooops64 Humpty_Dumpty
Posted
I had my operation Monday just gone, and still have my cast on. The surgeon gave me a quick description of what I can expect. He gave me a description of the few excersises he wanted me to do, he said my stitches would be absorbed. He never mentioned the pins being removed. Perhaps they wont know till the cast comes off in two weeks. Thank you good to have this information, no surprises then. It is annoying, it's like keeping your life on hold and not knowing how you'll be in a month or six months.
Maureen
Stylnmom chloe02837
Posted
Good morning, all. I feel bad for all of you that are going thru this. But also glad I'm not alone. My doctor hasn't got me on physio yet but I am trying to work on it myself. Very slowly, of course. I am not able to turn my wrist much either. I have a feeling that the more exercises and the more you are able to push yourself the quicker healing time. But OUCH! Anyway Arnica gell seems to be helping some work the pain.
ooops64 Stylnmom
Posted
Yes Stylnmom I had my Arnica tabs and gell delivered today. I shall rub gell around my fingers and top of arm at end of cast, bit of bruising on my thumb near joint, also at end of cast, near elbow. I had a phone call from fracture clinic today, they've given me an appointment Monday 4th Sep, so hope the cast is removed and all goes well. My last three fingers more flexible that fore finger, cannot bend thumb at all. Can just about bring fore finger to thumb, and touch top flesh part,
not quite top of finger. That's four days after surgery.
My husband had wrist surgery 30 years ago with the plate, he was saying how he forgets as it is very flexible, never a problem.
Maureen
Humpty_Dumpty chloe02837
Posted
Hi again all...hope y'all are recovering well....it's a shame Chloe's not about now to tell us how she got on but hopefully she is fully recovered....the answer to her question is, i think, not black an white....it's obviously gonna be different for all of us but it's nice to get a picture of how others are progressing...if it's only to find out that all will be okay in the end.
After shock, I think despair sets in and one wonders if everything will be the same again....well, it's 2 weeks since my pins were removed and I have to say I'm feeling much better than last week....I can twist my wrist, make a fist, flex my wrist north south east and west! And I'm moving my thumb more without pain, not much more but it's definitely better. In fact, many of the movements now are pain free unless I really push to the limit. I can hold my phone and a cup, I even laid some stone yesterday and used both hands to lift them in place and I can now change gear when driving. I just can't do the more intricate things like play a chord on a guitar or clean my glasses but hey....it's only week two after pins out....what can I expect... the point I'm making is, I'm making progress and despair has turned to relief.
Fingers crossed you're all doing well too......until next week....👌😉
Humpty_Dumpty chloe02837
Posted
It took at least 6 weeks before I could hold a full pint glass without pain. Twisting motions much longer, is say up to 3 months. I could confidently use my wrist again in day to day tasks by amount 6 months but it took about a year before it had enough flection or strength to take my body weight in a push up for example x
ooops64 Humpty_Dumpty
Posted
I got a copy of the letter, (through the post today) the hospital sent to my GP about my misshap. It was distal radius displacement unstable fracture, slightly deformed. Well a week after my internal fixaction plate and screws, letter says. So I have screws, like my husband had, over 20 years ago. Perhaps this is an NHS thing screws rather than pins. I can touch all my fingers with thumb, little finger is not easy. I found on the internet, information on what the muscle does when a bone breaks. Aparently the ligaments, that are attached to muscle and to the bone, they shorten (ligarments) at point of break, and that is why trying to move fingers, thumb, is so difficult. Lots of info on there, also people have put on U Tube videos of how to do these excersises. Also on U Tube helpful facts, of what can be achieved after the cast is removed. I found these very helpful. As I said my operation was 13 days ago, my cast to be removed in four days, Monday 4th Sep 2017. Will let you all know how that goes. The messages on here, have been very helpful to me. I felt so stupid doing this to myself at my age, having never broken a bone before. I shall be so careful in future. I put a special cover over my cast, I did find that more comfortable, as the cast held the cold. I found a couple of days ago, the fact there was a "cast cooler" you could buy, especially toward the end of the cast life. It is used with the use of a hoover, the suction draws in cool air from each end of the cast. It will also suck dry skin through the cast. Should be delivered tomorrow, internet gives lots of information on this, U Tube videos too of people using this clever invention £34 on well known purchasing website.
Humpty_Dumpty ooops64
Posted
I checked out the cast cooler and my first thought, even though the guy was wearing the same cast as I had, was he'd never broken his wrist....he was using his hand normally, so I'm guessing he must have broken it further up the radius....i don't have anything like that movement even now! Others were complaining of itching and sweating problems...i must admit, i had none of that....i used to do 20 Minutes a day on a treadmill going up and down hills...but I could only manage a gentle walk after the break as any "bouncing" would really aggravate my wrist. So you'll have to let us know how you get on with that....can you believe what people invent out of the need for necessity! You're better than me with touching fingers and thumb, I can only get my thumb to the second finger, no way the others, but my thumb is my biggest problem...it's not easy to grip anything with any strength....I can use my fingers like a hook and lift things but not grab anything yet....good luck with the cast removal on Monday, perhaps they'll tell you if you need another op to remove the plate and screws....
ooops64 Humpty_Dumpty
Posted
I was worried anout infections in the wound because of the cast, and the cooler would suck in air, always believer that air on a wound rather than plasters, on too long. My last three fingers, were quite easy to move from surgery. My thumb is the very tight. I see from internet, the inability to swivel from elbow, so plam can be upermost facing ceiling, is not usually possible. Strange as my elbow isn't injured, I can only achive palm facing right palm. That supposed to be normal after break in radius. Shall message Monday.
Maureen
ooops64 Humpty_Dumpty
Posted
Maureen
ali12827 ooops64
Posted
How long for, and how regularly have they told you to wear the wrist support for? Over here, I've been told by both doctor and physio that I shouldn't have any support as I need to get my wrist moving. I have actually just ordered one though as my wrist gets so stiff and sore that I turn hold it really awkwardly and then all of me gets stiff and sore! I intend to wear it for driving, although that still seems along way off! The physiotherapy I've been having has been great as they are trying to bring down the swelling which should help me regain movement.
Humpty_Dumpty ooops64
Posted
Hi Maureen....I responded yesterday but it seems to have got lost in the ether.....my skin looked like the scales on a shedding snake...I was scraping dead skin off for days, especially my fingers and hand. It was swollen and the loss of muscle tone made it look skeletal....quite incredible what 5 weeks inactivity can do....I note you're going to buy another splint, I'm going to reply to Ali re the splint....have a read.....
Humpty_Dumpty ali12827
Posted
Hi Ali...I had my wrist support/splint put on as soon as they removed the cast and pins. It was reassuring to have it there as it looked a little vulnerable without anything. BUT...I couldn't try moving my hand, thumb or wrist. I wore it the first day and first night. The second day, I removed it but put it back on at night. The following day I removed it completely. It's a little scary not having it on at first but it's okay...my bone healed so it's not going to break and if you have a plate and screws in, then it's not going to move for sure...the cast was on to support the healing of the bone and prevent movement....they wouldn't take it off if they thought this process hadn't taken place.
i began trying to move my fingers, thumb and wrist straight away....yeah it was a little painful but only because I moved to the limit. As my previous posts have indicated I am making progress which I thought would never happen. I can now change all gears whilst driving and I even washed my hair with both hands yesterday!
It obviously depends on your your own circumstances but I would ditch the splint asap.
ooops64 ali12827
Posted
I shall wear my splints, but will take them off for the excersises. I can use my fingers and thumbs, and I have been using a peg to strengten the use of my thumb and forefinger. Using loads of moisturiser for the terrible skin atrophy. I was told not to try yet, rotate my wrist, as all still swollen. My sister was surprised, I had my cast on only the two weeks since op, as she had her's on six weeks, I m assuming this is because she didn't have plate and screws. With the plate and screws, the wrist is totally stable.
Maureen
ooops64 Humpty_Dumpty
Posted
Not happy enough yet to remove splint throughout the day, but will remove during excersises. Yes the skin looks awful, like the skin of 100 year old, using all my best moisturiser on it now. I have lost a lot of confidence, I would usually to charge around my garden with my secateurs, not so now. I never considered myself at 68 elderly, but now I am going very careful. My aim now is to be able to cut my own food, but my wrist cannot yet take weight. I will get there but not going to push myself so hard. Very good message board, been so helpful, shall keep going and will open my hidden Prosecco as soon as I can cut my own food 😂😂
Maureen
Humpty_Dumpty ooops64
Posted
Nice one Maureen....sounds like a good plan....yes I too feel my age has caught up....that's why I want to get back and be fit quickly...really feel like an old man sometimes...I do find without the splint, I'm doing things I wouldn't be able to do with it on, simply like putting my hand on my knee when I'm sitting and stretching out the fingers....you may find when feeling better to leave the splint off for longer periods....I'll report back on my 3 week post cast off on Thursday....
ooops64 Humpty_Dumpty
Posted
Maureen
Humpty_Dumpty ooops64
Posted
Hi Maureen and all....I have at least 4 weeks on you so you take it easy, even with a plate and screws, you still got the same injuries. It's now 3 weeks and a day since pins removed and I am feeling a whole lot better. Movement is greater but still can't touch little finger with thumb and third finger not so easy. I also thought that once you could make a fist it would be easy thereafter but I still need to coax it, although the coaxing is taking less effort each day. I would say I'm about 30-40% recovered, I've gained about 10% recovery each week since cast/pins removed. That makes it about another 7 weeks to get back to full recovery...although weight bearing may still be an issue. So say 10-12 weeks should do it, I'll keep you posted.
One thing to remember...even though you're feeling better, take it easy...I did some work yesterday and maybe too much...my wrist began to ache, so I rested today and things are much better....also beware of over compensating with the good hand, this can lead to aches and pains in your good hand! Something I've also noticed. So I'm backing off a little....hope you're all well and a speedy recovery to all....