Wrist injury

DYE
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KY US
Since this is a common injury in our sport, I figured this might be a good place to get some advice. 8 weeks ago now I had a crash in which I thought I had just sprained my wrist. There was no significant swelling or disfiguration to think otherwise. After 8 weeks I have made absolutely no progress with healing though. I still have full function, but the pain is constantly there when bending it forward or back. It is definitely a bearable pain as long as slow pressure is applied, but if it gets an abrupt bump it sends a shooting pain pretty bad...My question is, has any of you thought you just sprained your wrist to later find out there was something else going on like a fracture or torn ligaments? Or is 8 weeks with no healing still within a normal range for a sprain? I'd feel stupid going to the doctor for just a sprain so I was wondering if any of you had similar experience before I go.
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jmx411
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Leesville, SC US
2/13/2017 11:44am
Broke my wrist and took 12-16 weeks before I was out of a cast I think. Been a while ago. I do know that it took years before all the pain was completely gone. I know I spent the next 7-8 wearing a wrist brace racing and other sport activities.
bvm111
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2/13/2017 11:48am
no progress after 8 weeks... yes go see a doctor!!!! Blink Blink Blink Blink
DYE
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KY US
2/13/2017 11:54am
I'm still on the fence about if I should go to the doc and get it checked out. I thought for sure it was just a sprain because there was no major swelling, but after 2 months it still feels like I just injured it yesterday. Has anybody else taken that long to get over a sprain? Or is it a sign something more serious may be wrong? I don't like going to the doc when I don't have to, but I also don't want a lingering injury that I could have avoided.
DYE
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2/13/2017 11:57am
bvm111 wrote:
no progress after 8 weeks... yes go see a doctor!!!! Blink Blink Blink Blink
That's what I was thinking, just wanted some other opinions lol. It was just weird how it didn't swell up. Its definitely giving me lots of problems still though.

The Shop

zghosty
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Puyallup, WA US
Fantasy
2/13/2017 12:01pm
Injuryed my wrist, I did go to the doctor. Two doctors to be honest. Both said they didn't see anything, but there was a lot of bone fragments in that wrist. Broke it a few times. Rode for about a year, got an x-ray on my finger and the doctor told me I had a non-union scaphoid break. Had to get a screw to heal it. I guess my bone was dying.
2/13/2017 12:13pm
Wrists take a long time to heal especially if you stretch/sprain the ligaments by the wrist on the inside of the forearm. Last year I went out to start my car and someone was peeping my windows.(apartment complex) Couldn't persuade him to just go away and he went into attack mode when I mentioned the police. He had a big skull so it took 6 months before I could pull the throttle to the stop without too much pain again. I got the best of him by far but learned to get a collapsible baton. Most people don't realize fighters of all kinds tape their wrists and hands up to avoid breaking them.
DYE
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2/13/2017 12:13pm
zghosty wrote:
Injuryed my wrist, I did go to the doctor. Two doctors to be honest. Both said they didn't see anything, but there was a lot of...
Injuryed my wrist, I did go to the doctor. Two doctors to be honest. Both said they didn't see anything, but there was a lot of bone fragments in that wrist. Broke it a few times. Rode for about a year, got an x-ray on my finger and the doctor told me I had a non-union scaphoid break. Had to get a screw to heal it. I guess my bone was dying.
Oh man, the bone was dying Shocked Ummm yeah I believe I'll be going then. I've read about how theres not very good blood flow in the wrist. Better safe than sorry I guess.
slipdog
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Nor Cal, CA US
2/13/2017 12:15pm
That's very common with a broken Navicular(Scaphoid) bone. Some guys go years still racing because it just feels like a nagging sprain sometimes. Maybe I'm a pussy, but I knew mine was broken all 3 times, lol
DYE
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KY US
2/13/2017 12:19pm Edited Date/Time 2/13/2017 12:20pm
Wrists take a long time to heal especially if you stretch/sprain the ligaments by the wrist on the inside of the forearm. Last year I went...
Wrists take a long time to heal especially if you stretch/sprain the ligaments by the wrist on the inside of the forearm. Last year I went out to start my car and someone was peeping my windows.(apartment complex) Couldn't persuade him to just go away and he went into attack mode when I mentioned the police. He had a big skull so it took 6 months before I could pull the throttle to the stop without too much pain again. I got the best of him by far but learned to get a collapsible baton. Most people don't realize fighters of all kinds tape their wrists and hands up to avoid breaking them.
I'm not too much of a fighter anymore lol...but I am going to try to avoid this injury in the future. If something is wrong I'm going to try to get insurance to help out with getting a set of the braces mentioned in the other thread.
DYE
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2/13/2017 12:24pm
slipdog wrote:
That's very common with a broken Navicular(Scaphoid) bone. Some guys go years still racing because it just feels like a nagging sprain sometimes. Maybe I'm a...
That's very common with a broken Navicular(Scaphoid) bone. Some guys go years still racing because it just feels like a nagging sprain sometimes. Maybe I'm a pussy, but I knew mine was broken all 3 times, lol
Thanks for the input slip...That's what it feels like is a nagging sprain, but after 8 weeks I figured something else might be going on. What's the fix for that, just cast it up? About how long usually? I'm pissed at myself for waiting now since I've been training my butt off and the first race of the season is in 2 weeks.
slipdog
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2/13/2017 12:42pm
Well I'm no wrist specialist, but first time they put me in a cast up to my elbow because that stops you from twisting your wrist like you can do with a below elbow cast. No movement for 8 weeks and it should heal. I broke it again a year or so later and had the same protocol. For a normal person this should be fine, but the 3rd time I was sent to a athletic wrist specialist and he looked at a copy of the original x-ray and said that it should've been surgically fixed the first time because he felt there's no way for it to handle the high impact abuse of motocross.

Like zghosty said, the fear is going non union and dying so I had the screw, a bone graft and wore an electrical bone simulator for 6 or 8 more weeks and that was in '93 and no problems since.
kzizok
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2/13/2017 12:46pm Edited Date/Time 2/13/2017 12:48pm
slipdog wrote:
That's very common with a broken Navicular(Scaphoid) bone. Some guys go years still racing because it just feels like a nagging sprain sometimes. Maybe I'm a...
That's very common with a broken Navicular(Scaphoid) bone. Some guys go years still racing because it just feels like a nagging sprain sometimes. Maybe I'm a pussy, but I knew mine was broken all 3 times, lol
This^^^

OP, you will probably have both an x-ray and MRI in your future.
2/13/2017 12:50pm
bvm111 wrote:
no progress after 8 weeks... yes go see a doctor!!!! Blink Blink Blink Blink
DYE wrote:
That's what I was thinking, just wanted some other opinions lol. It was just weird how it didn't swell up. Its definitely giving me lots of...
That's what I was thinking, just wanted some other opinions lol. It was just weird how it didn't swell up. Its definitely giving me lots of problems still though.
You have a broken schaphoid. I did the same thing two summers ago and ended up only breaking it worse. With a definite limited range of motion now I wish I went to the doctors and listened to what they said the first time.
BAD10
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San Diego, CA US
2/13/2017 12:55pm
DYE wrote:
Since this is a common injury in our sport, I figured this might be a good place to get some advice. 8 weeks ago now I...
Since this is a common injury in our sport, I figured this might be a good place to get some advice. 8 weeks ago now I had a crash in which I thought I had just sprained my wrist. There was no significant swelling or disfiguration to think otherwise. After 8 weeks I have made absolutely no progress with healing though. I still have full function, but the pain is constantly there when bending it forward or back. It is definitely a bearable pain as long as slow pressure is applied, but if it gets an abrupt bump it sends a shooting pain pretty bad...My question is, has any of you thought you just sprained your wrist to later find out there was something else going on like a fracture or torn ligaments? Or is 8 weeks with no healing still within a normal range for a sprain? I'd feel stupid going to the doctor for just a sprain so I was wondering if any of you had similar experience before I go.
Come on dude I think you know the answer to this. * weeks and still feels no better? Get to the Doctor! Better to find out now than to wait and prolong the injury and/or risk the window of time for healing. Its a no brainer man!
DYE
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2/13/2017 1:00pm Edited Date/Time 2/13/2017 1:02pm
BAD10 wrote:
Come on dude I think you know the answer to this. * weeks and still feels no better? Get to the Doctor! Better to find out...
Come on dude I think you know the answer to this. * weeks and still feels no better? Get to the Doctor! Better to find out now than to wait and prolong the injury and/or risk the window of time for healing. Its a no brainer man!
The only thing that stopped me from going so far really is I have a buddy that's a ER doc. It hurt pretty bad when I done it so I text him a couple weeks later when it wasn't getting better. He said it was unlikely to be broken without swelling. Plus my insurance sucks and I'm going to be out quite a bit of money. Just wanted some others experience before I went. Thanks for the input everybody. Sounds like there is definitely a trip in my future though Sad
kzizok
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2/13/2017 1:05pm
DYE wrote:
The only thing that stopped me from going so far really is I have a buddy that's a ER doc. It hurt pretty bad when I...
The only thing that stopped me from going so far really is I have a buddy that's a ER doc. It hurt pretty bad when I done it so I text him a couple weeks later when it wasn't getting better. He said it was unlikely to be broken without swelling. Plus my insurance sucks and I'm going to be out quite a bit of money. Just wanted some others experience before I went. Thanks for the input everybody. Sounds like there is definitely a trip in my future though Sad
If that's the case, then go see your buddy in person so he can lay eyes on it.
DYE
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2/13/2017 1:20pm
kzizok wrote:
If that's the case, then go see your buddy in person so he can lay eyes on it.
He's about 2.5 hrs away and pretty busy. I text him a little bit ago. I'll see if I can set something up with him but how much could he tell without a MRI or X-ray?
Greenbush
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Saint Johns, MI US
2/13/2017 1:31pm
Sounds like scaphoid to me. I'm recovering from a four corner wrist fusion right now. I broke my navicular 3 different times with two surgeries and last month they had to remove the scaphoid and do the fusion. Doctor said that it probably never actually healed 100% probably from coming back to soon and not taking it easy. now instead of five little bones in my wrist I have just one big one.
My riding days could possibly be over, if not I'm in for a long recovery with limited range of motion and strength.. I guess what I'm trying to say is take your time recovering, listen to the professionals, preferably more than one. If it is indeed broken.
Good luck. Broken navicular sucks ass.
kzizok
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2/13/2017 1:40pm Edited Date/Time 2/13/2017 1:44pm
kzizok wrote:
If that's the case, then go see your buddy in person so he can lay eyes on it.
DYE wrote:
He's about 2.5 hrs away and pretty busy. I text him a little bit ago. I'll see if I can set something up with him but...
He's about 2.5 hrs away and pretty busy. I text him a little bit ago. I'll see if I can set something up with him but how much could he tell without a MRI or X-ray?
If its a scaphoid he'll pretty much know it rather quickly. Xrays and MRI's confirm. Xrays are often negative. The video I posted above is a good illustration.

2/13/2017 2:59pm Edited Date/Time 2/13/2017 3:29pm
If it's sprained and you haven't immobalized it then it could easily still be sprained. I've got a history of wrist injuries and have had my arm casted before just for sprains. 6 months before trying to ride again not taking any hard hits. More then a year before I stopped thinking about it wilhile riding. After having repeated that a few times they still hurt for a few days after riding no matter what. Get your self a brace for the time being.
2/13/2017 4:00pm
I agree with the possible scaphoid fracture.

I broke mine last year in April (along with a collarbone and concussion). Nothing showed up on the initial Xray. I still had nagging pain a month later and a follow-up Xray showed a faint scaphoid fracture (I never had any swelling btw).

The fracture clinic still recommended casting it for 5 weeks with a followup CT Scan. The scan still showed a pretty clear fracture and I wore a removable splint for another month until my next CT. This one showed signs of healing so I was cleared to start physio. It took until November until I was fully cleared to go back to full use. I'm back to hitting the gym hard, trying to fully regain my strength and mobility.

Needless to say these breaks suck. Follow your Doctor's advice and don't try to come back too fast or you'll likely just rebreak it.
kkawboy14
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2/13/2017 4:31pm
It's gonna hurt for 1 year!
downard254
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2/13/2017 5:15pm
kkawboy14 wrote:
It's gonna hurt for 1 year!
Bullshit! Try 32 years and still counting. Broke mine, doc said it wasn't broken, raced 4 more weeks while taping it up, then wore a cast for 4 months. And the cast will go to the tip of your thumb to immobilize it. Sucks big time and try to prevent jamming it or it will feel broken all over again. Good luck.
flymoto
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GB
2/13/2017 5:38pm
The scaphoid is a nasty one for a small little bone. I smashed mine, had it pinned. In cast for 3 months, totally immobilised, then started slow physio. Was dieing for the first 2 then managed to find its blood supply! Got hardly and motion now but still ride ok, Just have to drop the elbow a little lower! Haha

Funny you should bring this up though, im i in a similar position now. I believe to have damaed some tendons before xmas in my good wrist. Still not 100 percent. Not been to a doctor, as they only say rest. Go buy a decent splint off eBay, helped me Quite a lot. First race next weekend, not really done Any aggressive riding since doing it so I'm hoping it will be ok.

Don't like riding with niggling injuries as they always seem to get worse, but don't feel like resting it for much longer, season is starting!

Anyway sorry I kind of de railed. If your that worried go get a X-ray! All the best!!
NHtoWA421
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Bremerton, WA US
2/13/2017 5:38pm
Hit a tree in august direct to the hand/cluch lever. Hurt like a bitch, and knew something was broken immediately. Rode out, loaded the bike, stopped at the urgent care on the way home. X ray showed broke radius....went to another doctor a week later to get final cast, that x ray showed 2 breaks in the radius, one in the ulna, and a broke scaphoid. Was in a cast for 5 weeks, but stI'll have pain.

Take a 2 pound weight, grab it with both hands, extend arms in front of you and roll it forward until you can't any more, reverse and do it backwards until you cant. Every day, It will help with the pain.
2/13/2017 6:22pm
Speaking of wrist injuries, Joe Wasson suffered this one yesterday at round 2 of the National Hare and Hound.

kkawboy14
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2/13/2017 6:26pm
kkawboy14 wrote:
It's gonna hurt for 1 year!
downard254 wrote:
Bullshit! Try 32 years and still counting. Broke mine, doc said it wasn't broken, raced 4 more weeks while taping it up, then wore a cast...
Bullshit! Try 32 years and still counting. Broke mine, doc said it wasn't broken, raced 4 more weeks while taping it up, then wore a cast for 4 months. And the cast will go to the tip of your thumb to immobilize it. Sucks big time and try to prevent jamming it or it will feel broken all over again. Good luck.
Yeah but your a pansy Smile
Tumblin
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Jacksonville, OR US
2/13/2017 7:00pm
Always interesting to speculate but seriously you need to see an Orthopedic specialist to narrow it down.
After a trip over the bars I had three tendons pull loose from their anchors from wrist. Everything still worked, it was just sore and I couldn't maintain grip strength. Harsh hits would make me just throw in the towel. These tendons extend from their forearm muscles and anchor to the wrist and extend their way into the hand. The wrist anchor is much like a cable thats anchored to a bridge's pillar. so strength is compromised, but the pain comes from all those little bones that rely on those tendons to keep them where they're suppose to be; scaphoid, lunate were two and maybe Ular(?) was the three I had issues with getting out of place. The real issues comes when rehabbing from surgery. It sounds like a simple and easy procedure but it sucked for a year and has never been the same, although it is now better then my other wrist that's developed arthritis in the last 5 years.
I'd luck to say good luck, but I don't think that's going to help
colintrax
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Taylorsville, GA US
2/13/2017 7:24pm
I broke my shoulder back in August, and had the doctor xray my wrist because it was bothering me.
6 months later its still bothering me Grinning shoulda got a 2nd opinion on that one.
You ought to go see a doctor, harder to fix the longer you wait.

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