Left wrist fracture/recovery?

I broke my humerus bone, after surgery i had radial nerve palsy,was very scary, it's been 5 months since surgery and my hand is starting to get better .i don't need a brace to keep my hand up ,i still can't move my fingers,but everyday their getting better......for me it took 5 months ,my arm healed much faster,hope this helps you and try to stay positive........

Hi Mason,

Good luck to you.  I had a similar injury, plate and screws in left radius, 2 fractures in ulna, on January 24, surgery the 25 and physio started the 29th.  I had a removable brace, not a cast. I stopped pain meds early - the narco only 3 days, OTC pain meds only a week. Not that I didn't feel it, but because I hate taking meds.  I was lucky to start the physio so early, but not sure it speeded up recovery all that much. I am still going back for xrays to monitor healing.  However I am also in my 60s and with osteoporosis so my healing will be longer than yours.   I was also fit, active and in good health so that has helped.

I saw a quick improvement with the physio after the first few weeks.  Activities that brought tears to my eyes at first (like simply flipping cards over from the top of a deck of cards) became a piece of cake.  Progress was very encouraging and pretty steady.

I was told 12 weeks and I should have a full recovery.  Their definition of full recovery is not the same as mine and no way in 12 weeks.  By 5 weeks I was still on a two pound (lifting) weight limit and limited mobility.  But my range of motion was much improved.  About 10 weeks, bumped up to 5 pounds and about 16 weeks bumped to 15.  At 20 weeks no weight restriction and by then my wrist movement was about as best as I think it will get.  I can do almost anything (with the wrist - see my "BUT" below) but the range of motion is only at about 80% and probably will not get better.  I am still somewhat swollen, wrist and fingers are stiff, there is pain when I flex the wrist too far.  It tires easily and I still occasionally have pain at the point of the break if I flex it just right or over use it. 

 I did my exercises religiously - 4-5 times daily and with the maximum reps.  I never missed a physio apt (3x/week).  Physio stopped at about 20 weeks.  I did make the mistake at first of doing too much with the exercises (if 15 reps is good, 20 must be better).  It is a mistake to do more than what they say.  Set me back a little.  Surgeon wants to remove the plate and screws after a year or so because studies show they can cause problems later and I do have 2 screw tips that are projecting from the bone and potentially cause tendon damage later. I thought I could feel the plate but now I think what I feel is internal scar tissue.

BUT - I did end up with a frozen shoulder and so now am in physio 3x/week for that.  Pain is pretty intense.  It is a fairly common result of this type of break and completely avoidable.  The only negative I have with my surgeon is that he didn't prescribe the physio to avoid it.  Keep your shoulder moving!!  Do large windmills with your arm, in both directions.  Move your arm straight out in all directions.  Keep reaching to the side, above you and behind your back.  Shrug your shoulders, squeeze your scapulas together, stretch the shoulder up, back and to the side, scratch your back (upper and lower). 

I first noticed it as discomfort when I went to pull a shirt off over my head probably at about 10 weeks.  Then it progressively got worse and more and more painful.  I complained to my surgeon at about 12 weeks.  He thought it was bursitis and said to watch it.  By my next appointment at about 17 weeks I couldn't move my arm (seriously couldn't move it, not just because of the pain) above shoulder height either to the front or side, nor even behind my hip.  I couldn't pull my pants up.  My activities were all one-handed.  And I was in constant pain. There was only one position I could be in to sleep, so I was waking up many times a night if I even moved a little.  It was nearly as bad as the first nights after wrist surgery.

I am improving after several weeks of shoulder physio and finally woke up this morning for the first time without pain.

So please be aware of this complication.  It is frustrating to get the wrist healed and okayed for all activities but then to be back to ground zero with another problem. 

I'm sure you will heal better than I did. Starting personal training tells me you are concerned about your health.  I would think your trainer would be able to work with you and this injury perhaps in another month or so.  Although I'm assuming you are younger and probably male.  I'm envisioning a 20-something strapping guy.  Maybe not.  If you were active and fit before, your recovery should be faster and your progress should go well.  If you are an overweight couch potato than you'll have a harder time getting your motion and strength back.  But even so, don't let that stop you.  With dedication to healing and health you should be able to get back on track.

Good luck.  Please keep me posted.