Can't make a fist, straighten hand after wrist surgery 4 weeks ago

Hi Fellow Wrist Recoverers, I thought I'd pull together what I have gleaned over the past 2 months since I had a plate and pegs and screws inserted into my right wrist to help heal a lot of crushed distal radius bone and had a pin drilled into my right thumb to fix two breaks above the joint (later found out that the bone below the joint also had been crushed).

What to expect from orthopedic surgeons and PAs: Don't expect to get any substantive advice at any point in time, especially from the surgeon. Right after surgery, she/he will tell you how the surgery went and you'll be given your discharge paper which has minimal guidance except for immediate post-surgery care/cautions.

In your post-op consultations, you'll get a physician's assistant who may or may not be helpful. Then, the surgeon will see you for a few minutes and won't appreciate any substantive questions. I pull out my list of questions and insist on going through them. Even so, it is like pulling teeth to get the dude to talk and then what is shared is usually the minimum required to answer my question. My PA also told me I wouldn't need physical therapy since I had pretty good movement 10 days after the surgery. BIG MISTAKE that I listened to him and it was wrong of him to say that I wouldn't need PT/OT. 

What you should do: 1) Prepare thoroughly for your appointments and bring a list of questions - it's too easy to blow you off if you don't, and then you'll leave the consultation feeling frustrated and disappointed and still without answers/guidance from the "expert". 2) Consult with a physical therapist and/or an occupational therapist (who specializes in hands/wrists) SHORTLY AFTER SURGERY, if you can manage it. The therapist can help you keep track of your recovery progress, if she/he sees you early on - you'll have a baseline witnessed by someone other than yourself and this helps when you're feeling down. I saw both a PT and an OT because I had issues with my arm/shoulder/neck as a result of the way in which I fell. PTs don't know wrists and OTs don't know the rest of the arm/shoulder/neck. 3) Find a PT and/or OT who has a healing touch - seriously - and with whom you connect. It is really important to feel like you are with a healer. 4) Make the PT/OT provides LOTS of hands on therapeutic massage and manipulation - this is extremely beneficial. Too many of my sessions were wasted with a lot of instruction to me by the OT - I can go on YouTube and watch how to do exercises for free and at my leisure - I don't need to waste precious therapeutic time being taught. Some therapists won't be happy with doing mainly hands on work, but insist. I've found that I have made the most progress from the hands on work. It was as though my body was crying out to be helped to be put right. 5) Recognize the balance between functional pain and harmful pain (if you do yoga, you might be better at this) and do NOT let the PT/OT push you too hard. PT/OT hurts, but if you find that you're swollen up worse than before after a session, something is not in balance. I was having a hard time with supination and I had a few days off from OT and, Bam! I woke up one day and I had regained almost 180 degrees of supination. 6) Ask the PT/OT lots of questions (but don't let them stop their hands on work as they answer!). I have learned a lot about the effects of trauma on muscles, on nerves, on tendons and ligaments - and all these parts of your body respond differently to different types of therapeutic work.

Other things you may not be told: 1) The Mayo Clinic recommends 500mg of Vitamin C post-surgery which has been proven to help in recovery. Wish I'd known that and wish it had been on my post-op sheet! I started 2,000mg daily a few days ago. 2) Comfrey (knit bone) is beneficial for bone repair. 3) Bone broth is beneficial for bone repair - be careful of what you buy, though. The most potent bone broth is produced in a specific way (long, slow processing over a certain temp. 4) Arnica can help with swelling. 5) Self-massage really helps - it takes a while, since so many little nooks and crannies make up your hand/wrist and if you've had any trauma up the arm, you need to work on those areas, too. 6) Icing is fantastic - do it often! But find a good ice pack - not all ice packs are created equally. 7) Soaking your arm in warm water when you wake up and through the day and working/massaging your hand/wrist/arm when it's in the warm water is really helpful. 8) Get lots of rest. You may find yourself really exhausted after surgery and as you're healing and doing PT/OT. Recovery takes a lot out of you, so be gentle with yourself and get a lot of sleep/rest. 9) Set your sights on the long-term. It can take up to 2 years to fully heal from wrist surgery. 10) Your ulnar may also have been broken - apparently, this one can be painful for around 9 months, before it settles down. 11) Exercise both hands/wrists/arms together - I've found it helpful to do my exercises with the uninjured and injured arms together - gives a positive role model for the injured arm. (Sorry, if you've damaged both hands/wrists/arms - but maybe one is doing better than the other and you can still benefit from the role modeling). 12) Compression sleeves for fingers and hand/wrist/arm are great and help so much with swelling and with pain! Also, the cool tape with the channels built in to move fluids from the lymph nodes is really helpful. 13) INSIST on an MRI and/or CAT scan very early on if there is a chance you have soft tissue damage - the usual X-ray cannot show soft tissue issues, even if the surgeon/PA insist that "everything looks fine". They may be reluctant to do an MRI/CT scan because of insurance issues since it isn't standard. 14) Last, spend time visualizing your injured parts as healthy and functioning at 100% - the brain is powerful.

Hope this helps. Please add to the lists And best wishes for your recovery!

Hi

Well four weeks since operation. Doing exercises three times a day -light exercises however today my hand and wrist are aching so much I'm putting this down to exercises and keeping my splint on for rest of evening now. Can't attempt to lift anything yet and just bored and fed up. Thank you in advance for any advice. Regards Monica

Well had a dencity test last week, to test for osteoparosis or osteoperina. Have to make an appointment to see my doctor tomorrow, got a phone call to say contact surgery tgis evening. Well as I am 68 and broke wrist falling in the garden, it is the usual procedure apparently. Let you know tomorrow, looks like special menu for me no sparkling wine or sparkling anything.

Maureen 

 

I have had my test for Osteoporosis and Osteopenia, as I am 68 my doctor thought sensible. Well I have to take a tablet once a week for Osteoporosis in right hip and Osteopenia in left hip, and he has given me big box of Calcium + vitamin D tablets. So looking on this break as the better option than a damaged hip.

Maureen    

I had surgery back in June, my hand looked like it had been run over by a truck when the bandages came off, it was badly bruised. I still have the hand issues, bent fingers, can’t make a fist unless I thaw it in hot water in the morning but, I have to say it’s getting there but you have to help it and that’s going to be sore. I’ve watched several YouTube videos related to this made by Physio therapists and they seem to help get things working. Keep at it, good luck.

 

Hi there, please let me know how your hand is doing. My hand looks like yours and my surgeon can't explain why, I went to a hand specialist and couldn't give me an answer why it's bent either. Very frustrated, went to get a CT scan and waiting for results, any response would be greatly appreciated.

I was involved in a hit and run car accident. My arm was broken in two places. I had surgery on Oct.20 th. 2017. During the surgery a plate was put in. Now I can't move my wrist, or make a fist, and I can't straighten out my fingers. I hope your arm  healed because I am really getting worried. I am right handed and this is the arm that was broke.

Hi Fellow Broken Ones!

Forgive me for re-posting what I put up previously, but I have added a couple of additional things to the Other Things You May Not Be Told section (see the bold print for the new items). 

Good luck and good health!

Hi Fellow Wrist Recoverers, I thought I'd pull together what I have gleaned over the past 2 months since I had a plate and pegs and screws inserted into my right wrist to help heal a lot of crushed distal radius bone and had a pin drilled into my right thumb to fix two breaks above the joint (later found out that the bone below the joint also had been crushed).

What to expect from orthopedic surgeons and PAs: Don't expect to get any substantive advice at any point in time, especially from the surgeon. Right after surgery, she/he will tell you how the surgery went and you'll be given your discharge paper which has minimal guidance except for immediate post-surgery care/cautions.

In your post-op consultations, you'll get a physician's assistant who may or may not be helpful. Then, the surgeon will see you for a few minutes and won't appreciate any substantive questions. I pull out my list of questions and insist on going through them. Even so, it is like pulling teeth to get the dude to talk and then what is shared is usually the minimum required to answer my question. My PA also told me I wouldn't need physical therapy since I had pretty good movement 10 days after the surgery. BIG MISTAKE that I listened to him and it was wrong of him to say that I wouldn't need PT/OT. 

What you should do: 1) Prepare thoroughly for your appointments and bring a list of questions - it's too easy to blow you off if you don't, and then you'll leave the consultation feeling frustrated and disappointed and still without answers/guidance from the "expert". 2) Consult with a physical therapist and/or an occupational therapist (who specializes in hands/wrists) SHORTLY AFTER SURGERY, if you can manage it. The therapist can help you keep track of your recovery progress, if she/he sees you early on - you'll have a baseline witnessed by someone other than yourself and this helps when you're feeling down. I saw both a PT and an OT because I had issues with my arm/shoulder/neck as a result of the way in which I fell. PTs don't know wrists and OTs don't know the rest of the arm/shoulder/neck. 3) Find a PT and/or OT who has a healing touch - seriously - and with whom you connect. It is really important to feel like you are with a healer. 4) Make the PT/OT provides LOTS of hands on therapeutic massage and manipulation - this is extremely beneficial. Too many of my sessions were wasted with a lot of instruction to me by the OT - I can go on YouTube and watch how to do exercises for free and at my leisure - I don't need to waste precious therapeutic time being taught. Some therapists won't be happy with doing mainly hands on work, but insist. I've found that I have made the most progress from the hands on work. It was as though my body was crying out to be helped to be put right. 5) Recognize the balance between functional pain and harmful pain (if you do yoga, you might be better at this) and do NOT let the PT/OT push you too hard. PT/OT hurts, but if you find that you're swollen up worse than before after a session, something is not in balance. I was having a hard time with supination and I had a few days off from OT and, Bam! I woke up one day and I had regained almost 180 degrees of supination. 6) Ask the PT/OT lots of questions (but don't let them stop their hands on work as they answer!). I have learned a lot about the effects of trauma on muscles, on nerves, on tendons and ligaments - and all these parts of your body respond differently to different types of therapeutic work.

Other things you may not be told: 1) The Mayo Clinic recommends 500mg of Vitamin C post-surgery which has been proven to help in recovery. Wish I'd known that and wish it had been on my post-op sheet! I started 2,000mg daily a few days ago. 2) Comfrey (knit bone) is beneficial for bone repair. 3) Bone broth is beneficial for bone repair - be careful of what you buy, though. The most potent bone broth is produced in a specific way (long, slow processing over a certain temp. 4) Arnica can help with swelling. 5) Self-massage really helps - it takes a while, since so many little nooks and crannies make up your hand/wrist and if you've had any trauma up the arm, you need to work on those areas, too. 6) Icing is fantastic - do it often! But find a good ice pack - not all ice packs are created equally. 7) Soaking your arm in warm water when you wake up and through the day and working/massaging your hand/wrist/arm when it's in the warm water is really helpful. 8) Get lots of rest. You may find yourself really exhausted after surgery and as you're healing and doing PT/OT. Recovery takes a lot out of you, so be gentle with yourself and get a lot of sleep/rest. 9) Set your sights on the long-term. It can take up to 2 years to fully heal from wrist surgery. 10) Your ulnar may also have been broken - apparently, this one can be painful for around 9 months, before it settles down. 11) Exercise both hands/wrists/arms together - I've found it helpful to do my exercises with the uninjured and injured arms together - gives a positive role model for the injured arm. (Sorry, if you've damaged both hands/wrists/arms - but maybe one is doing better than the other and you can still benefit from the role modeling). 12) Compression sleeves for fingers and hand/wrist/arm are great and help so much with swelling and with pain! Also, the cool tape with the channels built in to move fluids from the lymph nodes is really helpful. 13) INSIST on an MRI and/or CAT scan very early on if there is a chance you have soft tissue damage - the usual X-ray cannot show soft tissue issues, even if the surgeon/PA insist that "everything looks fine". They may be reluctant to do an MRI/CT scan because of insurance issues since it isn't standard. 14) Last, spend time visualizing your injured parts as healthy and functioning at 100% - the brain is powerful. 15) Ask your PT to hook you up to the H Waves machine (there is also a home H Wave and you can get a prescription from your doctor, if you're in the US) and do both kinds of pulsation at as high an intensity as you can possibly bear (intermittent pulsing for loosening up and flexibility and the steady tingling for tricking your brain out of feeling pain) - Oh my gosh! - it is a miracle machine - a godsend! I had a session yesterday and when the PT unhooked me, there was NO PAIN/NO ACHE in my wrist. 16) CBD Oil - much better option than Ibuprofen or stronger painkillers and it also heals bone and soft tissue and works for chronic pain (among many other things). 17) Floss bands and balls. 18) Excellent YouTube videos 

This link and is from a mobility expert who is a physical therapist.  The second one is managed by a chiropractor. If your orthopaedic surgeon is convinced you are 'healed', you ultimately should be able to resolve your pain with the guidance offered below. Keep in mind it will be a grind. That said, I would expect at least a 3-6 month window of time for you to achieve a pain-free state. I would recommend devising an exercise routine for the wrist that includes a variety of exercises... Though they may recommend doing them thrice weekly, I chose to do the ones for my shoulder daily.  When I noticed less and less pain, I backed off to performing the exercises only prior to my regular workout routines (regardless of type of workout, be it a boxing day or a regular body part weightlifting day), etc.[/b]

Hope this helps. Please add to the lists And best wishes for your recovery!

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