Fractured Wrist: In splint for 5 weeks, soreness/swelling normal?

@tina8808 Good Morning Tina, and welcome to Mayo Connect. We are a community of patients and caregivers who support one another, not medical professionals.
I can tell you that discomfort and some swelling at this point is common, but beyond that these are questions for a medical professional.
Have you seen an orthopedist or a hand doctor since the initial treatment? Or do you have a followup appointment scheduled soon? It is important to have the level of healing evaluated, and then to begin therapy to regain use as soon as it is appropriate.
Broken bones are no fun, and can affect our lives long-term if not treated well.
Sue

Hi @tina8808 - I also fell and broke my right wrist at 54. I had a cast for 6 weeks and did not use it even to type. The bone healed fine and quickly. I also tore ligaments and those are slower to heal. I never fully regained my range of motion as far as bending my hand down toward my wrist. I also had a strange swelling or lump on one side that even baffled the orthopedic surgeon. It stayed for years. I just looked (I'm 64 now) and it's still slightly noticeable only if I'm looking for it. I can tell you that my wrist hurt for a full year whenever I would pick up anything even slightly heavy with that hand. Not unbearable but noticeable. It finally went away.

Definitely bring up all your issues to the orthopedic surgeon and be sure to get physical therapy to correct that range of motion issue as soon as possible. The long something goes on, the harder it is to fix. Best of luck to you.

Thank you Zebra, very helpful.

@tina8808, so sorry to hear this. I can empathize as in 2016 I took a backflip off my bathroom counter (I was up there painting), landed in a deep garden tub, banged my head on the back of the tub, and broke my right arm right at the wrist. I had surgery to put in a plate and screws.
Have you been keeping your arm elevated as much as you can? That can help the swelling. Also, does the splint feel particularly tight? That, too, can cause swelling. If you're still in pain enough to need pain meds, you really should alternate the ibuprofen with Tylenol.
If you take the splint off at times, you might try a cold pack on there to help the swelling.
It sounds like you need to see your doctor again to talk about your concerns and find out when you can start some physical therapy. When I broke my arm I was 67 and had to realize it was just going to take a bit longer to heal than it would when I was younger.
Good luck. I know it's frustrating, but hopefully your doc will be able to give you some answers to your concerns.

It's time for me to join this wrist fracture group. I fell (May 16) when I missed the final step while going down a series of short stairs. I landed on my left wrist, and it is fractured. Fortunately, I didn't hit my head or break anything else - and my left is not my dominant side. This is a hit to my ego because I hike and have gone up and down many rugged rocky mountain trails, but it was the beautiful marble steps that caught me off guard. Just shows how quickly these things happen.
I'm wearing a splint that was applied in the ER when bones were adjusted under sedation. I will see orthopedic dept later this week for second time to get next set of X-rays. Current plan is 3 weeks in splint since it is holding everything in place with satisfactory healing. After that I will get a cast that is below elbow, removable brace...
Does anyone have any tips or hints that might help me as I move forward? when were you able to begin finger or hand exercises?

@tina8808
Hi. Like folx say, best to check in with your dr. Warmth can indicare infection, a frozen elbow is best treated right away etc. However, as a retired nurse with CRPS, knowing that splints, casts and fractures are some of the more well-known common causes of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, you might want to google and read more of the most common symptoms. Serious burning pain, hyperesthesia of the skin where a cats whisker causes pain, discoloration esp red to purple with time.

If you have the beginning of crps, it will continue to get worse as long as you are in a splint, cast etc. Early treatment leads to the best outcome. If your dr doesn't know what CRPS is, find another dr. If this is the start of crps, you don't want to ignore it. There is also a CRPS Section here but after reading the most prominent symptoms, and wondering if they do fit, please go see your dr. CRPS is much more common thank people think and its almost always caused by a trauma with a pain response that is way beyond the normal pain associated with the injury.

I'm not at all diagnosing you of course and there are so many things, including normal healing, I'm throwing this out there as most have not heard of this very real thing - sadly including drs.

But as someone who lives with it, I know casts, boots, splints and the fracture itself can be enough pressure on a nerve and continue pressure will make it worse. If you have the beginning of any of these things (burning, hypersensitivity of the skin, swelling or discoloration not related to infection or other expected reactions, see someone who knows about CRPS. Swelling inside a cast or brace alone can de damaging nerves.

You don't want CRPS to take hold by waiting for your next appt. Yoir frozen elbow alone will only get worse instead of better. I forget if you are the one who said you also have a fracture in your elbow.
My best. Never wait and blow off these symptoms by thinking "well I see them again in 3 weeks." Call now. Damage to a nerve can get much worse quickly. If your dr says "don't worry about it, its normal" which it can be depending in the degree of pain, ask them if they know what CRPS is and if they have ever treated it.

Not meaning to scare you, but check it out. Don't wait till it gets worse. Fractures and esp Casts etc. putting pressure on a nerve, are some of the most frequent causes of crps. My best.

Just a general heads up. If you have some symptom that is causing you concern...definitely call the doc and go over it. Err on the side of caution. Always the best way to go.

You know, as people who do not want to bother anyone, we can be hesitant to ask.

But you never know if something is minor, or indicates a major issue. And some things that are, in fact, major issues, do not present that way.

Good point Sam. Maybe most people know this, but in my area, there are "Urgent Care" centers that are NOT ERs. Access is much easier and faster. These places are ideal to address symptoms that require immediate attention but not a fully staffed ER. They should be able to diagnose something like an infection as discussed above and either treat it or make a referral to be seem asap. (It also takes some pressure off ERs where the needs are much more urgent - think car crash.)

These places usually don't provide pain killers or other "scheduled" drugs, and they won't treat broken bones or injuries requiring a real staff. But they are convenient for other, non-emergency needs - and way better and smarter than waiting to see your PCP, or worse, waiting many hours in an ER where real emergencies rightfully come first.

i NEVER FRACUTURED MY WRIST, but my mother in=law did at 87. She started knitting as soon as she could. And it healed up very quickly....

Excellent point. Here in New Jersey, there is a rivalry between the Mafia and the Devil, as to who gets to control things. So, I am not sure if the Mafia or the Devil himself runs healthcare in NJ...I just know it is one of the two.

I wish I were joking. Health care is frequently horrible around here. I really don't know a single person who gets good health care. Not one. Some get a bit better than others, but generally it is all pretty horrible.

Intake staff are often phenomenally nasty, cruel, abusive and sometimes even directly obstructive or you getting decent care.

It's truly very very bad.

And, of course, there are exceptions. I have encountered nice intake staff. I have encountered respectful and responsible doctors.

I would say, that in getting medical care, only one out of every 10 interactions is just fine without some very nasty encounter. Might only be the intake person and the rest of the experience is fine.

Might only be the pharmacy people...and everything else is fine.

But honestly, the times everything went fine....10% ??? You know, probably less.

Back in the 60s and 70s? Literally 95% of the time everything went just fine.