1. Community
  2. Injury and accidents
  3. Accidents and Injuries

Wrist fracture

Posted , 100 users are following.

This discussion has been locked due to a period of inactivity.
jan00794
jan00794

I fell and broke my wrist seven weeks ago. It was a collies fracture but with two breaks. It was put

Into plaster for five weeks. I am now two weeks out of the plaster and I can't believe how horridly

painful it is! I am doing the exercises religiously and am trying not to overuse it. The worst pain

comes from the little finger side and not near the thumb. Where the fractures were is uncomfortable but the other side of my hand is worse. That side was black and blue when the plaster came off and pretty badly swollen. Some, but not all of the swelling has receded.

Anyone else had this experience? Not sure if I should return to the surgeon or, if it's pretty normal,

stop whining!!

7 likes, 302 replies

302 Replies

Prev Next
  • jan00794
    jan00794

    Posted

    Thank you for all the helpful comments.  It's is now almost 11 months and I am still experiencing discomfort in my wrist.  The ligament side.  I have managed to get back to yoga and pilates but archery is totally out of the question!  I can almost see the ligaments swelling again.

    it doesn't stop me functioning but it's very frustrating that after such a long time it's still 

    not back to normal.  

    The he other interesting thing is that I have developed hard lumps in the palm of my hand!!   Great huh!   Apparently, there is no explanation but that this happens when there is wrist or hand trauma.

    anyone else had that experience?

    • donna98755
      donna98755 jan00794

      Posted

      same thng with myself 2 years after breaking my left wrist! it swells with any heavy lifting/gardening ETC.the bone has shortened due to my age and having discovered i now have osteopenia. the lumps in the palms of your hand could be: Dupythrens contracture! it's a condition,that causes tiny tumors (not cancer) to form,which pull on the ligaments of the fingers thus making the hand go claw like. Margaret Thatcher had it. research it on the internet and go and see your GP.
    • Sally4Edgar
      Sally4Edgar jan00794

      Posted

      Hi Jan, I also have the same hard lumps post fracture. Have yours gone away since this old post? I was told mind are post-traumatic Dupuytrens so just hoping that my fingers don't start to be pulled down into my palm as time passes. I am now 9 months on from my fracture but still have some pain and discomfort that I may always have to live with. My radius was not set in quite the right position and Zi could have it broken again and re-plated, but I think I prefer to live with my wrist, imperfect as it is rather than risk more surgery and recovery time/physio etc.
    • susan97301
      susan97301 donna98755

      Posted

      I, too, have those hard lumps and the beginning of inward curving of the middle, ring and pinky fingers.  Can't get the hand specialist to say anything but "it will take months to heal" but I will get more information about possible next steps when I see him for my 2-month post cast check-up. I guess there are worse things than having something in common with Margaret Thatcher!  Tough lady.  Can't imagine she complained much about her condition.  Good luck, Donna and Jan!
  • linda43575
    linda43575 jan00794

    Posted

    So my cast came off on Wednesday after 5 weeks 5 days. My hand and fingers have been swollen and the pain has been terrible so was rather frightened of having cast removed. X-ray showed fracture has healed but I was in agony after the cast was removed and a wrist support put on. Consultant says it I serve pain and I need drugs to sort out the pain before I can work on the movement. So I have given in and have got amitriptylene. Took the first tablet last night, slept well and it might just be coincidence but I have less pain today. It looks a very strange shape and I am just trying to move it as much as I can to try to start the process before I go to physio.
    • mari-elaina
      mari-elaina linda43575

      Posted

      I'm a little ahead of you, Linda, my cast has been off for not quite 2 weeks. My consultant said to wear the support during the day when active but take off when sitting watching tv in the evening & wean off over the month. However, I only kept it on for a day or so as I found it was constricting & making my hand swell even more. Gradually, over the following week & a half the swelling is going down & hand / fingers are looking more normal, this also makes it easier to do finger exercises & work on clenching a fist etc. Each day I am noticing small improvements & I feel sure you will find the same will be your experience too.
    • paula33283
      paula33283 mari-elaina

      Posted

      i broke my wrist in May ( right one 14 cast altogether fingers and hand kept swellen ing . Got cast of six was ago still very swollen wrist so stiff movement poor .. Still on a lot of med s and one for my nerve ending on fingers  .. Have had over 23 hand therapy appointments . Have that many things I,ve to use gloves , back slab at night and another which bends fingers and twists wrist ..but cannot get swellen down and good ideas .. Will these finger and wrist ever move again they have said it'll be a year before I c any big improvement ..any hope for me gets me down can,t do anything feels as if not even my hand anymore
    • Joanne1956
      Joanne1956 linda43575

      Posted

      Hey Linda, How are you doing? Just read your post, hope you are able to use your wrist after a year. I was reading you were given  amitriptylene. I wonder why your doctor gave you that drug as it is for depression, my Mom had it years ago for depression, she said it made her a walking zombie, she only took it at bedtime cause in knocked her out for many hours, she had to get off it after 2 months from the extreme fatigue.just curious what some doctors in the U.K prescribe for pain. Again hope you are doing better now, take care
    • wendy26886
      wendy26886 paula33283

      Posted

      HI Paula

      Not sure if you still look at this forum as amI right you had your accident in May 2015 anyway I hope you do as I want to ask you how you are now I am having similar problems to what you described and I did my wrist 3rd May 2016 and I am so fed up that I am in still quite a bit of pain and my fingers are just stuck and no amount of exercising them seems to be doing any good!!! Perhaps I am being impatient but nobody realises how debilitating this is unless they have been through it.  Drs have not been that helpful and I feel I am that I am drowning with it all.

      Please tell me you are now bqck to 100%biggrin even though it is a long haul.

      Kind Regards Wendy

    • gaylene22352
      gaylene22352 linda43575

      Posted

      Linda you sound just like me I got my cast off and 2 pins out but still have a screw that will stay I start therapy in 12 days my pain is very bad don't know how I will be able to do it if still this bad . Dr gave tylonel with codine doesn't do much . Hand and fingers still swollen I have a removable splint that's very painful when I wear also .

    • eva96035
      eva96035 gaylene22352

      Posted

      gaylene, I feel for you dear as I too injured my left hand and wrist I haven't had any surgery but the brace they gave me to stabalize my wrist and thumb the way they are hard drives me crazy when I wear it which I have to do when I'm at work, I'm affraid that if I don't a patient may grab it and with the lighter brace I have that's not hard it would probably hurt very badly. I just wish the doctors would come up with what their even gonna do with mine first said fractured which I think they are the one's that are right and the Hand Specialist keeps saying Arthritis, then thought something injured besides bones, now the latest is Carpel Tunnel it's like we're playing a guessing game at my expense I don't know just aggravated with everything and I'm into month 3 and still don't know what their gonna do . I know that it's something more than Arthritis though I will be glad when doctors call my Workers Comp case worker and set up the appt with the second opinion Ortho Hand Specialist I hear he is quite brilliant and that would be very welcoming since it's been so long now and everything is getting worse because something definitely needs to be done. You shouldn't have to stay in pain forever and it seems like they just don't get it you know. Take Benadryl for your swelling as it will help the histamine's have built up in your body and the Benadryl is a antihistamine it will help take the swelling out I take 2 25mg Benadryl at nighttime but during the day if you take 1 about every 6 hours it will help immensely. Keep us updated on what happens and I hope you get relief soon. May God bless & keep you.

    • gaylene22352
      gaylene22352 eva96035

      Posted

      AThank you I will try the Benadryl I am in therapy now 3 times a week it is painful but I do see improvements but oh how it is stillness sinful and I'm so worried that my wrist will be able to function normal again just a long ways to go  good luck to you also 

    • gaylene22352
      gaylene22352

      Posted

      Sorry I didn't proof read lol I meant it is still painful  not sure where the sinful came from lol

    • eva96035
      eva96035 gaylene22352

      Posted

      I know what you mean about the being normal again, I don't think mine will ever be normal again. I've been through so much since I fell and what's worse is when I first hurt myself didn't feel as bad as it does now and I thought that doctors were supposed to help you not make you hurt more. I don't understand why this doctor hasn't sent me for a Bone Scan, I've been told that during a bone scan it's like the bones are in motion and if there is or was a fracture it shows up. I'm just tired of going to the doctor and feeling worse than I did before I went, you know... I'm glad that the PT is helping you and I hope your pain free in no time, I've got the feeling that my pain is just getting started. Good luck with your healing. God bless.

    • eva96035
      eva96035 gaylene22352

      Posted

      That's okay lol, I forgot to mention something to you that I'm going to start doing. My Son takes B-12 which is suppose to be good for helping the nerves heal and I think I'm gonna start taking it myself also vitamin C is suppose to be good for the immune system and I think we could all get something outta that...

Back to top
Prev Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.