Don't know if it helps .. but the wife went to physo at the hospital .. and the warm wax baths worked wonders getting the swelling down, she had zero movement for quite some time .. .. she thinks its not a problem now .. but she cannot use it to hold a knife when eating. Also it will still rapidly become swollen and dark, even now if she leaves it down by her side.. She also re broke the scaphoid bone .. and thinks this is why its in the shape she is left with .. Have you been given an air splint to wear while you work on getting it moving ? The air splint also helped to keep the swelling at bay, and keeping it raised .. she wears a body warmer most of the time now and can hook her hand into the opposite arm hole when walking about. She still uses the air splint if her wrist starts to twist .. it hold her wrist in place so helps ease the pain. Yes it was originally set at an angleOh your poor wife, she been through such a lot.
My wrist is stuck in that awful position I cannot move it at all. They said they couldn't plaster it straight in case the bones didn't fuse together properly which seemed odd at the time,( but I am not a medical person) so it was plastered at an angle !!
Many thanks Enclave
RRB.
I know how you feel about the pain and damage and the fact that it looks like something out of a sci fi movieI had both hands shattered in a 100mph motorcycle crash (drugged driver hit me without stopping)…. I have one thumb that doesn't bend and one that goes round a corner, a little finger that was never supposed to move again and is a good half inch shorter than it was, as well as a wrist that I can make fully grown men feel sick with when I show them Al's always telling me off for that one.
I had fixators and 'K' wires down through my fingers to hold the shattered bits of bone together.
I can only tell you what I did and hope that it helps.
First of all, the pain will get better.
Second, do all of the exercises that the hospital give you to do. I did them all at the hospital and three times a day at home.
I also took a calcium, magnesium and zinc supplement, which helped with the healing.
I wore those stretchy bandage tubes all the time for a few years.
It's really important to keep any draughts off your hands, and to keep them warm at all times.
I had wrist braces for both hands/wrists too. I found the neoprene ones the most useful, albeit a bit sweaty.
Hope this helps and you get better soon x
Hi, just 're read your reply and noted another clue to RSD the growth of finger nails!!! Please don't just acceptThanks poohtiggy, Yes my hand was a darker colour than the other and looked different to other people with broken wrists. Also I had pain whilst the 2nd cast was fitted, it was painful and I had tears in my eyes so plasterer went and got the consultant to come in, she said the A & E plaster was rubbish and found a thumb print indention in the first cast. I have had pain throughout the 6 weeks and kept asking why I had pain, no real answers from anyone. My hand is now getting a mottled affect, and has always been swollen, large % of thumb is numb and nail on thumb is concaved and the nails are growing much longer very quickly. The condition, CRPS is being dealt with at the Hand Therapy clinic, I will see how it goes, but I don't hold up much hope with the hospital because of the way I feel I have been treated, everyone I met has made comments about my hand/wrist and I have never been so sick and unwell in my life.
Can I ask what MD is and the treatment you received ? How long did it all take to get back to normality ?
Thanks again RRB
Another way you can test your hand for RSD is to try and stroke your hair or someone else's does it feel more course with the damaged hand? I really think you have been given the wrong diagnosis and if it is RSD and left untreated it will be difficult for you and yes, rapid growth of finger nails is another clue. If you live in the UK go on Arthritis UK and put in RSD for information, they as also available on the phone. I will be thinking about you good luckYes I will keep you all informed and will bring up your condition of RSD. Consultant referred me the Hand Therapy Clinic and is convinced its CRPS. I try to move my fingers in warm water which is more comfortable and I am stroking and touching my hand with different textures and I gently massage as well, I have never broke a bone in my life until August and now I am worried I will end up with a disability. Thank you so much, it is such a help at a difficult time. RRB
It was the scaphoid that I broke and unlike other breaks it is a very difficult bone to mend and it has to be set at an angle for a reason. With the right treatment it can mostly straighten but it's a long process and needs tons of patience and hard work,it appears I was extremely lucky to have been in the care of an Orthopedic hospital who gave me so much information about this conditionDon't know if it helps .. but the wife went to physo at the hospital .. and the warm wax baths worked wonders getting the swelling down, she had zero movement for quite some time .. .. she thinks its not a problem now .. but she cannot use it to hold a knife when eating. Also it will still rapidly become swollen and dark, even now if she leaves it down by her side.. She also re broke the scaphoid bone .. and thinks this is why its in the shape she is left with .. Have you been given an air splint to wear while you work on getting it moving ? The air splint also helped to keep the swelling at bay, and keeping it raised .. she wears a body warmer most of the time now and can hook her hand into the opposite arm hole when walking about. She still uses the air splint if her wrist starts to twist .. it hold her wrist in place so helps ease the pain. Yes it was originally set at an angle
Hi, just 're read your reply and noted another clue to RSD the growth of finger nails!!! Please don't just accept
Another way you can test your hand for RSD is to try and stroke your hair or someone else's does it feel more course with the damaged hand? I really think you have been given the wrong diagnosis and if it is RSD and left untreated it will be difficult for you and yes, rapid growth of finger nails is another clue. If you live in the UK go on Arthritis UK and put in RSD for information, they as also available on the phone. I will be thinking about you good luck
I think its the second or third time she has broken the scaphoid in that wrist .. along with the bigger bones ,, she was offered to have it removed and something from her leg put in its place .. needless to say she said no thanks .. So its her choice to be like this...It was the scaphoid that I broke and unlike other breaks it is a very difficult bone to mend and it has to be set at an angle for a reason. With the right treatment it can mostly straighten but it's a long process and needs tons of patience and hard work,it appears I was extremely lucky to have been in the care of an Orthopedic hospital who gave me so much information about this condition
I am convinced now that you have an RSD all the clues are there, if your doctor's don,t know about it and many don't, insist that you see an Orthopedic surgeon and get the right treatment. It's hard but with the right help you will be amazed at how good your hand can get. Poor you I really feel for youThank you again, I cant thank people enough for all the stories and messages, it really has been so helpful. I will google RSD Arthritis UK tonight or tomorrow..
Many thanks RRB ps the hair test was difficult, but a very different sensation from the right hand, hair feels silky with right hand and left hand finger tips more rougher/coarser ? and also tried it out on my cat Pebbles, different sensation again.
When I say 'other breaks' that means that the bones are not actually broken! The scaphoid is about 4 bones in a row that are similar to knuckles and the break is a separation between those 'knuckles' I had the gap filled with bone. It sounds like your wife also had an RAD left untreatedI think its the second or third time she has broken the scaphoid in that wrist .. along with the bigger bones ,, she was offered to have it removed and something from her leg put in its place .. needless to say she said no thanks .. So its her choice to be like this...
edit to add ..Also she has the different feeling in the damaged hand .. but as I said still managing to ignore it .. been so long now expect she will wait until it breaks again to do anything about it
RRB I'm so sorry to hear that you are suffering so badly with your wrist. I thought it was all going so well for you. I hope it gets easier for you soon.
I'm having similar problems with my ankle. Keeps swelling every time I'm upright, darker colour and have lost a lot of feeling in 3 of my toes but very painful if touched of that makes sense. Am paranoid that it'll never heal properly. About to start physio to help me relearn to walk as I cannot flatten my foot yet
Good luck
X
Agree with staying positive ....and there are many treatments that can be explored yet ....will drop in later to hear what I hope is better news ......you do not have to suffer the pain, maybe more pain relief ....you may need quite a high dosage....I know this is hard because of all the nerve endings etc... I forgot to say my brother did get some money while under going treatment ....a payment each week ....after the first 3 weeks., this took into account his job , where he is self employed etc ...and he has a careers role ...hope this helps ....Kat xThank you Kat and MrsB xx
When I read the stories from what members have posted, it makes me feel not so alone, some, like your brother have been disabled through it, and trying to look after my daughter ( she gets very upset when my pain is at it's worse), trying to keep my head above water and also being a carer for my elderly dad is taking it's toll. But I am trying to look ahead with a positive outcome for the future ??.
Thanks again, take care and I will post later about todays therapy appointment.
Thanks to all of you for your help and support X RRB
I don't think the consultant was correct in his findings, considering the terrible pain your currently going through and those pictures you have shown us.Thanks guys, I am off soon to get the bus and I will ask about RSD at Hand Therapy appointment. Also in the clinic there are leaflets on Arthritis, so I will have a look at those. I will ask questions about the hand/wrist, but when the cast was removed on the 16th Sept,, with an xray, consultant said it had healed remarkably well !! BFN
RRB.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?