Recovering from a Wrist Fracture: The Day the Cast Comes Off
We are continuing to follow the healing progress of our Physiotherapist, Estelle, who slipped on ice and is recovering from a wrist fracture. See the first instalment of the series here if you are joining us for the first time.
Jan 24th was a milestone. It was the day for a consult with Ortho Clinic and removal of the wrist cast. I was surprised and ecstatic to hear what they had to say. I’d had such a problem with swelling and increasing pain with movement during the last week of immobilization. My attitude going in was between confrontational and hostile... but with x-ray evidence of a healed fracture and the “all clear” from the specialist, my attitude adjusted instantly!
When the cast came off, my arm was so weak and so painful-- mostly around my thumb. My thumb was originally not part of the injury at all. You would think a physiotherapist would be better prepared, both for the in-cast events and the post-cast state of my wrist. All I can say is that things look different when viewed from the inside out.
The strange position of the cast protected the healing ulna but created a repetitive sprain/strain. The cumulative trauma caused pain in my thumb and wrist, with all the signs of soft tissue injury – swelling, bruising, and pain with movement. This injury increased in severity over the course of immobilization - that’s why I had trouble while recovering. Laser therapy was not practical with the cast on, although I certainly tried. I applied laser light therapy to the exposed parts around the cast, and it had an immediate effect on swelling but not on my pain and immobility.
I’m now on to rehab, which the orthopaedic surgeon says will take at least 6 weeks. It’s funny how that coincides with the normal healing time of a moderately severe sprain. Rehab will consist of laser to speed the healing and Kinesio taping at night to control and protect my wrist’s position. And of course, exercise, exercise, exercise... to restore motion, activate the stretched muscles and tendons, and to strengthen and improve function, especially when it comes to twisting motions. If I can find a swimming pool with a good schedule, I’ll do that too.
Hopefully, the final chapter will reveal a nice, normal-looking wrist. I’m including low intensity laser in my rehab plan which should speed my recovery.
I’m looking forward to showing off my healed wrist soon!
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