I broke my wrist in a fall and after weeks the cast came off but the pain is worse than with the cast on. How long will this last and what can i do to reduce the pain without taking narcotics?
Hi there...sorry for your pain...if I may ask a few questions...
Did you go through any PT prescribed by the Dr? Has the Dr. done a follow up x-ray to know everything has healed properly?
I had this happen after I broke some bones in my foot...the cast not only makes our muscles weak...having our foot/wrist in that one position for a period of time causes the pain once we start moving it again...
The main key is that once you know there is nothing physically wrong with it...then do exercises each day that they suggest...not trying to put any pressure on it like pushing yourself out of the bed, or pushing on a heavy door...slowly start resuming activities per Dr.s orders...
Most Dr.s don't usually prescribe any opiates for broken bones...so I'm glad you had something to help with the pain...the only downside is that it might have been 'masking' the regular healing pain during that time and that's why it 'seems' worse now...so just give it time (again...as long as the Dr. has verified there are no issues)...
Trying either Tylenol or Advil to see which one helps better with your type of pain..Advil is more for swelling...so is your pain more in the evening after using your wrist all day?
Also limiting typing on the computer as obviously that is using every muscle/tendon in your wrist and they need to strengthen again after being immobile..
Supplements are good but just double check with any interactions with any other type of medicine you are taking...
I hate to say it but it just takes time to heal...My ex 'boyfriends son broke his arm in two places over New Years snowboarding...and since he is young...it takes a bit more time to heal as he is still growing and making sure it's healing correctly...He was just given Tylenol 3 for the first few days of the injury when they set the bone...he is now doing fantastic and has been back at baseball since April...
Hi Robel, If your still having pain weeks after the cast is off, I would certainly let the doc know. Some docs use PT's after every broken bone and some simply send you on your way. I dislocated and fractured my wrist and the bones healed quickly but my wrist cotinued to dislocate every time I picked up something heavy. I ended up needing surgery to reconnect and tighten some tendons that had been damaged. I had a great PT that specialized in the hand and we did everything from hot wax dips to cybex training. Even after all the PT i lost about 30% range of motion, although I knew the surgery was going to cause the loss, I didn't really know what that meant untill I reached max range of motion and still couldn't turn my palm up.The loss of ROM was strange in the beginning but after many years it's just the way my wrist works now. There is nothing wrong with motrin and other otc meds although they aren't quite as strong as opiates they can still be effective. I added up the time I spent in a cast from the initial injury, 3 more dislocations and then the surgery, I think I spent about 28 weeks one year with my right arm in a cast. It takes time and it was pretty shocking how much atrophy goes on when you have been in a cast that long. I remeber simply not having the cast made my hand feel week and prone to injury. Things take time and just because you had the cast taken off, doesn;t mean you can't go back to the doc for a follow up. Your certainly not equipped to DX yourself so if OTC meds and ICE or heat doesn't help I would certainly let the doc know your still having problems.
Good luck, Dave
traumeel is a great mix of homeopathic anti-inflamitories and also has symphytum which helps with bone growth tremendously.
