 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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briand6868, I broke mine at the end of 2007 in a mountain bike incident. I broke three bones (radius, ulna and scaphoid) but was fortunate to not need surgery, I had reduction under local anesthetic. I had a plaster cast for 6 weeks, then a futura splint for a further 3 weeks. I could drive and lift things with the futura splint, it was a good bridge between having a cast and having a very weak wrist with limited movement. I then had 5 sessions of physio. I went skiing 14 weeks after the date of the fracture and my wrist was still weak and without a full range of movement but I seemed to manage OK, in fact getting my case in and out of the car was the most difficult bit.
The physio was definitely the key to regaining movement and strength and the physiotherapist gave me lots of little exercises I could do at home.
Good luck!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hey
I broke my wrist too a while ago (both bones) not sure how messy yours is?
I was unlucky and in a cast for 3 months, but standard like you said should be 6
Went to the physio and it is all about getting early movement, the muscles will be weak and tight. So I basically got hold of some lengths of elastic and then stretched it every way it is supposed to bend and this help massively.
I would recommend a wrist brace if you are going to be hitting it again soon maybe just for confidence but just in case you do land on it, it will be weak
Hope the recovery goes well 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Any exercises that combine strength with range of motion will be good. I used one of those gyroscopic powerballs as well as various exercises.
I suffered a crushed distal radius that required bone grafts and reconstructive surgery so I haven't got my complete range of motion back. I'm starting to get hints of RSI from keyboard and mouse usage as I work in IT but the accident was over 10 years ago and I really can't complain with how it's healed.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I broke both my ulna and radius quite a few years ago (also end of Oct) in a kick boxing session. They put an external fixator on my arm which allowed for some movement of the wrist so I could start with some rehab straightaway. I also continued my regular fitness regime right after surgery, running and gym. I could work around the fracture surprisingly easily, even upper body stuff like fly machine or one sided military presses or dumbbell raises. The fixator came off after 5 week. Had a couple of sessions with the physio, was lucky to have a very good one who was really pushing me with his manipulations (painful) but this helped a lot. I also did they usual forearm strengthening (dumbbell) stuff at home. I think good nutrition also helped a lot. Went skiing in January.
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snowman, Thanks again - my fitness coach reckons I've no excuse not to go back to my Summer training regime 6 sessions a week, only small changes needed then reverse once fit and spend 5 sessions on slope and 2 in the gym.I was supposed to go to a Masters training camp end of November but that's out the window so hopefully get on one end of December, cutting it fine for my seasons racing but thats the way she blows sometimes.Speaking to a physio tomorrow so we'll see what happens. 
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briand6868,
I snapped my radius (well, had it snapped for me) playing rugby. I skied with it in a cast in the 3Vs and it made virtually no difference to me (I was well anesthetized). The cast was originally on for 6 weeks, but went back on for another 2 when I got a bash on the wrist the day it was taken off. It isn't quite straight, apparently about 5 degrees off which is about the limit where they would want to re-set it, but I haven't seen any real ill effects yet - it happened over twenty years ago. I did have a few months where I had to build it up again, but the worst of it wasn't the muscle wastage /weakness but the loss of flexibility. Getting that back was a little painful, but the physios seem to like inflicting pain 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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briand6868, I badly broke my radius (and Bennetts fractured by thumb) in early Sept 2008 in a motorbike accident, ambulance to A&E 3 days in hospital not a great time. Had a long operation not only plating/ pinning my wrist but pinning my thumb also. There was a real amount of discomfort from the wound on my thumb but both my wrist and thumb have healed very well. The wrist was knitted together such that in 2 weeks they wanted to take the cast off because the muscle loss in my forearm had the cast flapping about, plus they wanted to see how the thumb was healing, all part of the same cast/ dressing. All OK'd and a new cast for 2 weeks, then removed and reapplied and off in total after 6 weeks. I was on amassive amount of AB's and painkillers for first 2 weeks but when I came off these at week 3 it was very painful. At that point of cast removal at 6 weeks my lower arm was very weak, high muscle loss and wrist largely immovable. I had 3x a week private physio for 4 weeks and had initially no movement but kept it going myself between sessions (squeezing rubber balls, gyroscope thingy and also rubber bands etc). Very painful and frustrating time but eventually got it moving and by Christmas 2008 it was almost totally free. I was skiing in February 2009, with a splint on both my thumb and wrist. The main issue was one of potential falling on it, thankfully that didnt happen.
It, and my thumb still give me pain when exposed in very cold exposed conditions, suspect thats just a bit of scar tissue/ plates/ pins and maybe will get some rheumatism but I'm dead happy with the repair, and NHS were great initially in the first 3 days, but follow up after the op almost non-existant and I paid for that myself, physio service wasn't good.
May advice is to get it moving as soon as you can and stick with it, it will be painful and very frustrating but you can expect a full recovery. I reckon I've now got 90% movement in my wrist and 70% in my thumb (the latter amazing given the fact that they were looking at a 50/50 re amputation). Good luck with it.
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Markymark29,
Of all the things I've done to myself, breaking my thumb was by far the most painful.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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musher, Agreed............have broken many things and thats the worst, my thumb aches like mad on a cold day in the mountains, it'll never be totally right but I can hold my poles and change my shifters on MTB so I'm happy!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Markymark29, musher, Thanks for all the advice and support - it was bloody painful today and my fingers have swollen up (can't get the wedding ring off) hoping to go to a race training camp on 30 Dec so with a bit of luck I'll be okay by then, fracture assessment on Nov 5th so should have an idea of how things are going then.
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| briand6868 wrote: |
| Broken wrist recovery tips/advice |
Use the other hand? 
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You know it makes sense.
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briand6868, they made me take mine off every time I was plastered for fractured scaphoids - playing volleyball at quite a high level it was suspected several times after diving off the court to retrieve a wayward ball! That and dislocated fingers of course. The plaster technician and I were good friends by the time I retired  They would not plaster the wrist while I had a ring on at all, even when they were re-plastering after the initial swelling had gone down and I had put it (or another one on the other hand) back on. Do watch the swelling of the fingers if the ring is stuck on.
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FAQ
