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I Have a Bad Wrist- What Should I Do?

G

greekorican

Mar 12, 2009
209
0
#1
I played lacrosse for 8th grade and freshman year. Its involves alot of using your wrists, so that couldn't have done any good. Freshman year I got nailed in practice during a drill while on a dead sprint. I broke my fall with by putting my left hand on the ground. The momentum caused me to do a somersault while my hand was planted on the ground, my wrist bent WAAYYY back. And of course like an idiot, I tried to get back on the field ASAP. I was very dedicated to it, and my idiot coaches encouraged me to play through the pain. I took a week off before I started playing again, andI was popping 4-6 ibuprofen before every practice and game until my wrist got better. My wrist has never been the same. It cannot support as much weight, and I can't move it the same range of motion as my other wrist without it feeling tight. I'm a senior now and its really bothering me. Thank you very much lacrosse.

Playing bass can't help at all either. Most of the time my wrist doesn't bother me, though playing for a really long time will irritate it. If I do heavy lifting my wrist will act up. Last summer it was bad when I was working for my dad doing carpentry. I'm in weight training, and it was terrible for the first couple weeks. I got some gloves with wrist support, and after that it was fine. Tuesday I benched at school, then went home and played my bass for 3 hours that night. I hardly played since tuesday because my wrist has been acting up. Today at work I had to carry a ton of boxes of files. My wrist was fine at first but since a few hours after work its been killing me. I tried playing some bass, and I actually couldn't, it hurt too much. Its not a sharp pain, its more a really uncomfortable tight feeling that builds up the more I irritate it.

I didn't go to the doctor after the injury, but I did bring it up at every checkup I've had since then. They always check my wrist and say that it feels perfectly normal. Even typing this post sucks, I must learn to be more concise with a wrist like this. I'm too young to have a bad wrist, what should I do?
 
#4
Hi greekorican what you need are scans.
The x-rays will give good information but get them supportent with a scan or have the scan without the x-ray if it is a choice of one or the other.

CT scan
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/examinations/ctgeneral.htm

MRI scan

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/examinations/ctgeneral.htm

There are other medical imaging proceedures available but either one of these two will provide a look inside your wrist and forearm.

As is the bodies way it gives you pain to stop you, so stop.
Rest the forearm and wrist, get a wrist brace to restrain the wrist from movement, not one for support, but one to restain movement. Cut out the pain killers, you need to feel what is causing damage and hurting you, painkillers reduce the pain but do nothing to stop the damage.

I didn't go to the doctor after the injury, but I did bring it up at every checkup I've had since then. They always check my wrist and say that it feels perfectly normal. Even typing this post sucks, I must learn to be more concise with a wrist like this. I'm too young to have a bad wrist
Click to expand...

If your doctors do not take you serious go to ones who will, why?.. because you have pain and cannot function, that is what must be obsereved and treated, not the fact that it "feels normal". Bottom line get it checked out by qualified medical profesionals.:D
 
#5
I'm not a doctor so I don't really know what I'm talking about, but it sounds like (from the injury you described), what you probably did was to stretch or tear the ligaments in your wrist. This could mean they are lengthened and so aren't supporting the joint properly - they need to be tight to do this. This might be why the doctor doesn't pick up on it, because often they don't look for ligament damage, and also ligaments don't show up on x-rays. When the ligaments aren't supporting the joint, the muscles have to do much more work, so they can get tired or strained much quicker.

I would recommend going to a private physiotherapist who specialises in sports injuries.
 
#6
I'm really losing faith in doctors. Three different doctors (well, pediatricians) said that my wrist should be perfectly normal.

I'm not taking pain killers anymore. This injury was 3 years ago, I was only popping tons of ibuprofen for about a month.

Also, doctors are expensive, I think I'm gonna talk to my gym teacher. She's smart, maybe I could try some free medical help first. Or maybe she can recommend me a good trainer or physiotherapist.
 
#7
I'd got to a hand surgeon. Yes, there are such specialists. The hands are very complex, and you'll get the best advice from someone who knows hands very well, rather than a general practitioner.

In the meantime, I'd suggest avoiding long sessions of anything. It seems from your description that is when the problems creep up. Instead of a 3 hour practice session, spread it out into more frequent but shorter sessions.

Based on your comments about the wrist support helping, I'd say that proper position will be key for anything you do. But hey, you already know this.

But don't let this go. What you do now (or don't do) will most likely affect you more and more as time goes on. Do the right thing, have it checked by a specialist.
 
#8
It seems you have a good understanding of what activities exacerbate the problem - it's up to you to decide whether you need (or are able) to do all of them. Everything you do is going to stress your injury to some extent, be it weights, playing bass, typing, carpentry, washing the dishes etc etc.

I've been in a very similiar situation, where my 50hrs a week as a surveying draftsman caused RSI (essentially carpal tunnel syndrome) in both wrists. 4 months of anti-inflamatories and reduced hours merely slowed the progress of the injury. I chose to quit the job so I could keep on playing bass. Only you know where _your_ priorities lie :)

c-
 
#9
I broke my left wrist when i was 13 jumping over bicycles off a playground swingset. I cleared like 20 Huffys, but like you, broke my fall with my left hand.

After about 3 weeks in a cast (supposed to be six), I declared myself healed and cut the cast off. :rolleyes: Today, I have problems with extended-time bass playing and pain with overuse.

One thing that has helped me is what Marton mentioned. Physicians (unless they're trained in orthopedics and sports medicine) tend to limit their diagnostics to the common and the obvious. Try a physical therapist. They will be much more tuned in to your specific issues and know exactly what to do. Good luck, man...
 
#10
I have a sinking feeling in my stomach that quitting bass would be better for my wrist in the long run. I don't want to do that, so I'm hoping there are some exercises I can do to make my wrist better. I don't want surgery either. Ugh, I tried playing a bit today but I can feel it getting agitated, so I'm gonna take tonight off too if I can control myself.
 
#13
greekorican said:
quitting bass would be better for my wrist in the long run. I don't want to do that...
Click to expand...

Quitting bass? :eek:

You're talking crazy now. Quit if you hate playing and you've found something else you enjoy. :rollno:

On the other hand, if you like playing, and would continue if it were not for the wrist, give yourself the benefit of the doubt and get some PT. If it doesn't help, and the therapist says you'll not get better, then you may be forced to.

Sometimes a few simple exercises and stretches, done correctly and for the right period of time, can cure the problem.
 
#15
GET ART THERAPY

sorry for caps but this is like the most important thing ever. I was at one stage a powerlifter, we have lots of issues involving muscles, bones and joints. More often than not its a muscle and tissue issue. Find an ART therapist in your area, pay the fees and get your neck shoulder and arm worked on. If it doesnt help ill eat my shoe.

Dont trust physical therapists too much and especially ignore your doctors advice unless he/she was or is highly versed in muscle physiology and kinesiology(something they are taught almost nothing on). They know common diseases, medical issues but they know diddly squat about anything to do with muscles.

I cant stress how much you need to get some form of deep tissue work done. The *vast* majority of sprains are quickly followed by myofascial trigger points (which create uneven tension in muscles and tendons, leading to pain, and can be incredibly potent and long term).
As an example i had 1 single trigger point in my scapulae levator, a muscle in the back about the thickness of a pencil and from the neck to the scapula. The pain was the worst ive ever experienced in my life, i was hunched over for days till i found that trigger point, massaged it away (that hurt like hell too) and was instantly relieved.

Another quick point, many many ART and deep tissue people believe the vast, vast majority of carpal tunnel surgeries are unnecessary as they are usually manifestations of muscle problems. I agree with this from my own study into the field. Either way read up on myofascial pain syndrome and trigger points.

oh yeah ART stands for active release technologies... its proprietary sadly, id have learnt it myself. Well worth it though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigger_point
 
#16
greekorican said:
I'm really losing faith in doctors. Three different doctors (well, pediatricians) said that my wrist should be perfectly normal.

I'm not taking pain killers anymore. This injury was 3 years ago, I was only popping tons of ibuprofen for about a month.

Also, doctors are expensive, I think I'm gonna talk to my gym teacher. She's smart, maybe I could try some free medical help first. Or maybe she can recommend me a good trainer or physiotherapist.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear but after three years you have had your time of putting off. With out looking inside the injury, all will be guessing(as they have been) about what is happening.

Do this in stages if money is the problem, Get the scans, this will help clear any doubt about what is happening with the injury. This gives you the answers to tell others what has been discovered rather than "it just hurts". Sports therepists, P.E teachers, doctors, hand surgeons etc. they will all work better if they know what it is they are actually dealing with.
I can think of no where scans would not be a benifit.

IME money spent trying to avoid scans, is money wasted and means all are working without full knowledge, and the chance they could make it worse.

Even if you cannot afford the treatment just know, you will know what needs to be done, and that will give you a great focus with your time on the instrument and the need to put this injury right as soon a possible....i mean you are already three years down the line with no improvement how long can this situation go on?
 
#18
Maybe I need to clarify some stuff. Like I said, I don't take anymore pain killers. I took them for about a month after the injury. It also does not hurt like this usually. A few months after the injury, it was almost 100 percent, but its never been the same. Other than the occasional flare-up, its usually not significantly weaker than my other wrist. I really thought it was healing and getting better, but I guess not.

I don't know for sure if going back to practice so soon made it worse, but I'd imagine thats why I'm still having problems. My idiot coaches did not take me seriously and assumed I was exaggerating and being a bitch about it. And of course "play with the pain." I did want to get back on the field ASAP, so I can't place all the blame on them.
 

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