Wrist Injury Question

I crashed pretty bad riding downhill about 6 weeks ago and injured my wrist. At first I thought it was just a sprain but from what I heard it normally takes no more than 2-3 weeks to heal. Now I'm starting to wonder if it's something worse. I don't currently have insurance so unless it's absolutely necessary I would rather not see a doctor.

After the crash my wrist was in a lot of pain but there was no swelling. Right now my wrist is 90% functional, the only time it really hurts is when I'm holding things a certain way (washing heavy pots and pans in the sink) or when I try to do pushups.

I'm pretty sure a lot of you guys have had a wrist injury at some point in your riding career, so do you think it will eventually heal on its own or it might be something more serious that requires surgery?

 

The wrist has some small bones and limited circulation; I've had friends with injuries that required a prolonged healing time. I suggest you have it x-rayed.

 

Wrist injuries can be very serious and there are many reasons why you are experiencing pain (the structure of your wrist involves many small bones, tendons and ligaments) ... 6 weeks would not be a long time for a serious injury/strain to heal however (I believe up to 10 weeks is normal), if the pain is the same or getting worse, you should consider at least having a doctor check it out. You might have a fracture or a tear.

I have several friends who ride without insurance... I caution them by saying its not a good time to take chances. Until you get some insurance, don't do crazy stuff! Also have you hear the joke about "doctor it only hurts when I do this..." Maybe not a good time to be doing push ups if you want the wrist to heal... pain is the brain trying you to stop doing that!

 

It could probably be sprained real bad. Do you RICE daily to help with the swelling? Did you take an Xray at least to make sure nothing is broken? Without Xray pictures or anything to go off on it's hard to judge over a couple of words.

 

i hurt my wrist awhile back and had a doc check it out. he had me do a squeeze test and range of motion tests (had decent grip and good range even though it was uncomfortable). took me almost a year before it felt "normal". being older sux

 

I would definitely get it checked out. If you fractured your scaphoid bone, depending on where the break is, you run the risk of avascular necrosis (dead bone from disrupted blood supply) if it doesnt get fixed. This can lead to long-term problems with wrist stability and secondary arthritis!

 

Thanks for all the quick responses. You guys and gals have definitely convinced me to go see a doc. I figured if it's just something that will eventually heal up on its own I would rather save the few hundred bucks.

I didn't think it was THAT serious since there was no swelling at all. Heck, I can even lift weights at the gym just fine with some athletic tape around the wrist for support. It was when I tried to do a flat handed pushup that I realized it might be more serious than I thought.

Technically I have insurance, but it's the one where it only covers after a $5000 deductible. So it's for something major, and something like a couple of doctor visits it won't do me any good. Do any of you have any recommendations for a good Orthopedic doctor around the LA/OC area that won't charge an arm or a leg?

 

The solution seems simple: get yourself a girlfriend to do the dishes. If you're a lady, get a husband and train him properly.

Regarding the healing, six weeks is nothing. Many minor injuries can take the better part of a year to start feeling good again. So six weeks wouldn't worry me too much.

As for seeing a doctor, what can he possibly do to help? He'll take some x-rays, see nothing, give you some acetaminophen, tell you not to use the wrist, and send you on your way. If he sees something bad in the x-rays, maybe he'll want to operate. But since you're now at 90%, would you get the operation or would you give it another six months to see if it heals on it's own?

If you're looking for a sports medicine guy, Virgil Robertson at Brea Canyon Rehab knows a thing or two. If you see him, tell him I sent you. Maybe he'll give me a pen or a t-shirt for the referral.

 

That's very true. The only reason why I wanted to do something about it is because I am enlisting in the military reserves. For basic training I will be doing a LOT of push ups and going through obstacle courses.

I probably won't be going until February or even March of next year, so if I need to do surgery I need to do it now so that I have time to recover. I'll most likely get it x-rayed just to see where I'm at.

 

Learn to live with it. I've crashed pretty hard on my wrist, never breaking it but I did move some of those smaller bones around. The orthopedist I went to said I could do 3 things, 1 - cortisone shot, 2 - full wrist rebuild, 3 - shorten my radius bone so that the wrist can fall back into place so it's aligned properly. I asked him will this be 100% effective and he said No. Forget it, gimme the shot and I'll live with the pain. It took me about 1 yr before the pain went away. When you fall, try not to stick your arm out. Bad things happen when you do that.

 

I injured my wrist at work right around the time I renewed my interest in MTB (now about 3 1/2 years ago) I have a long history of minor injuries, mostly wrist and knees, from skateboarding and biking, so I self diagnosed and started wearing a wrist brace at work and on bike rides. I wore the brace for about a year (whether I needed it or not) when riding because whatever weight isn't on your feet or on your @$$, is on your wrists! Wear the brace longer than needed because if you take it off too soon you'll just re-injure, possibly worse if you don't gradually build back up to full strength (before the next time you crash!) Of course if its something unusual i.e. crunching bones/ligaments, numbness, limited motion bite the bullet and see a Doc.

 

Sprockethead, You shouldn't ignore this, There can be potentially bad problems from a wrist injury that is misdiagnosed. Pain is the body telling you that something needs attention. The wrist is very complicated, and sometimes doctors can miss something. A good CHT (certified hand therapist) should be consulted too, usually need a doctors order for this.

 

Also, putting your arm out when falling is a reflexive action, it would be hard not to put your arm out, especially if the fall was very quick.

 

8 weeks for my broken wrist, 4 months for my sprained ankle..........

 

Hence the "try not to stick your arm out". I know it's tough to do, but it's better to tuck your head down and just roll. I've dislocated my shoulder, separated my shoulder and suffered wrist pain because I couldn't tuck and roll. The wrist is fine now and like others have said, time will heal it.

 

I suggest seeing a Dr. I injured my wrist 4 years ago on a very minor fall on my bike (going uphill, hit a rock, couldn't get unclipped. Just toppled over and put my hand out to break the fall.) I thought it was a sprain, but it didn't get better. Xrays showed broken scaphoid. My hand was put in a cast, but I was told there is very poor circulation in that area and it may need surgery. After 4 weeks in a cast the xray showed the bone had not begun to grow together, so surgery was done and the bone was screwed together. It healed up fine and I was back on the bike 6 weeks after surgery. I still had some discomfort, especially when riding downhills, but it was OK. I'm now pain free and everything is good. Hope you heal up quickly and that it's just a sprain!

 

8 weeks for me to heal from a bad sprain with a bone chip done last March. Make sure you heal up before you enter into basic training. You'll need your wrists for more then just push ups. Trust me on that one pal! Good luck in the service..
Scan, like Andy said, fight the urge and learn to tuck and roll. Similar to a PLF, ( parachute landing fall). -Lloyd :wave:

 

I had to jump from a second story scaffolding doing stucco. I landed on all fours on a driveway. I made the doctor re x-ray my wrists because I didn't believe there weren't any fractures. There weren't. I couldn't ride for over four months, and needed a brace to play drums. After that it took almost a year before the dull pain stopped. I'm sure cases and healing vary. Good luck. BTW I'm guessing part of the delay in healing for me was not listening to my body and trying to play despite the pain.

 

I am one of those worst wrist injury cases where it is taking longer than normal to heal. I broke my wrist in January and the doctor decided not to put hardware in me. I also broke my elbow too which does have the hardware in me. I still cant turn my wrist so my palm is up and I cant make a fist or grasp my handlebars. My doctor said I have reflex sympathetic dystrophy which is effecting my joints due to the traumatic injury. My doctor said some people (Me =( ) could take a year to heal. I am still in pain everyday but I am used to the pain and I try to stay away from the medications.

If you dont have insurance try applying for Medi-Cal or MSI, Its based upon your income. There are also a lot of clinics that charge $25-$45 for cash patients who are unisured and there is also a free clinic in Orange county open twice a week that you can try. http://www.lestonnacfreeclinic.org/

 

hand and wrist injuries are weird. i broke my little finger in a crash, didnt even know it until i got it checked weeks later. i could manipulate the finger with my other hand with no pain. i got a clue when it didnt wanna straighten after all that time. doc gave me some popsicle sticks, tape and told to keep it steady for a few weeks.

i have a doctor in the san gabriel valley that will see you and give you an opinion for 50 bucks and the cost of an xray. he will refer you to a specialist if it is broken. but for fity, you get a pros assessment on whats going on and you can make decisions from there. let him know you dont have insurance and he will tell you what you can do about it if you wanna heal naturally

send me a pm if you want a referral.