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Sprained or not; & how long till it's recovered?

Posted , 3 users are following.

jenniferd94
jenniferd94

On the 30th of April, during soccer practice, someone shot a ball against my hand. I don't know exactly how the ball landed, but since I had bruises on my fingers as well as my hand, I think it hit flat on the top (must have been holding my hand flat on my stomach).

The pain was in my thumb though, and it was thumping so bad, and I couldn't move it, so I decided to go to the hospital the next day.

Wasn't broken, they gave me a bandage for 3 days and told me it was just a sprain.

By then I had pinpointed that the pain was in the MCP joint I believe it's called, the middle joint.

For weeks afterwards I still had pain doing normal things like holding a pen, but you know, sprains can be painful for a long time, they said.

It's been 11 weeks now, and my thumb is still swollen. It hurts when I bend it forward, or to the inside. Upwards and outwards is fine, though by the end of the day it hurts too. Bending forwards and inside are the worst (I still have to pull up my pants with my hand twisted using my fingers instead of my thumb).

I know it takes a long time for a bad sprain to heal, but can I be sure it is a sprain? I've had injuries in the past, walked around with them for weeks to months, only to discover I had something more severe anyway (have a high pain threshold apparently). I don't want this with my thumb, it's my writing hand and for my study I need to draw a lot.

Also, if it is a sprain, and I keep overburdening it, making the recovery time longer, shouldn't I tape it, or get a brace? Because this way, with it still being this painful and swollen, it doesn't feel like I'm on the fast road of recovery.

Any advices/ideas?

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • Aberzerk72
    Aberzerk72 jenniferd94

    Posted

    It could also be tendonitis, especially if you get a lot of RSI from sports. They sadly never really fully heal in my opinion. Def keep icing it and try to get pennsais type gel from dr

    Good luck 

    • jenniferd94
      jenniferd94 Aberzerk72

      Posted

      I apply some "arnicaforce" which is supposed to be good with bruises and sprains, but I have never heard of this Pennsaid. I will look it up

  • kathy124
    kathy124 jenniferd94

    Posted

    I don't trust doctors anymore. You might want to get another opinion from another doctor now that time has gone by. I fell and broke my femur 4 days after having the joint removed from the left thumb. From the femur break I had also a detached ligament for that knee. I argued with doctors for a freaking year that my knee kept twisting. Because of so much metal in my leg (total knee replacement too) they could not find the problem with the ligament. I told them to replace the knee and that will fix my issue then. So they did and found the ligament had been detached and not doing anything for me.... for an entire year! stupid doctors!!!! get more opinions when you can!

    • jenniferd94
      jenniferd94 kathy124

      Posted

      I know right, it's like, I know some people claim to know everything or go for whatever pains they have to a doctor, but in these cases, it's like they don't want to listen. I mean yours sounds really bad and so even after such a drastic surgery you'd think they would take you seriously.. 

      But yes, I will try my best for this week with ice and gels and tape and will go to another doctor next week.

  • jenniferd94
    jenniferd94

    Posted

    Sunday I badly sprained my ankle too rolleyes But it did give me 2 good reasons to go to the doctor. He said since my thumb was still a bit swollen, it meant it wasn't just a simple bruise, but probably some ligaments that had stretched. He said that those could last long, and since I used it a lot, it would take longer to heal. 

    Now that I'm on crutches though it will probably be even longer, 'cause I use my thumb for that as well of course. I guess I'm just unlucky.. 

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