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Damaged wrist

86 replies

Flute56 · 26/11/2024 19:19

Two days ago I bashed my left hand on a swing door when I was opening it and it didn't hurt but a few hours later it was very painful and I couldn't lift anything with that hand so I saw the rest was broken so I went to get an X-ray and the x-ray said nothing broken but just badly sprained. My wrist and hand was putting a splint and I was told to just go home and see my GP if I needed further advice. 1 end of the wrist is extremely painful so I was convinced that there was a hairline fracture but the doctor said nothing showed up on the x-ray but it is still extremely painful when any pressure is put to it so I'm going to my GP to ask for a further examination and I would like to know what the x-ray said if there's any tendon damage or anything like that and the reason why it is more painful at one end of the wrist and the other and also this Hospital doctor said to me it will be better within seven to ten days and I don't think she should say that because how does she know people get better at their own rates. I spoke to a friend of mine he used to working a hospital and she said are you sure that doctor was an orthopaedic doctor because sometimes when their short of staff they get another Doctor Who isn't and orthopaedic doctor just to cover I said I want someone to explain what they saw on the x-ray not just fog me off with oh it's not a fracture because I don't know if I've got tendon damage or what she didn't say and I'm on very strong the painkillers which masks the pain which means I can use the hand but because I'm using the hand with the stronger painkillers once they wear off my wrist will be twice as painful because I've been using it and putting stress to whatever is wrong with it so I'm going to get a second opinion because this doctor at the hospital said to me what job do you do and I said I work with computers can I type oh yes she said you can type what I can't type no way it's going to put stress on the finger stress on the the wrists and everything that don't think she should have said that

OP posts:
Flute56 · 27/11/2024 20:18

Dotto · 27/11/2024 20:13

The treatment probably wouldn't be any different though, either way.

According to the internet a fractured wrist is put in a plaster cast

OP posts:
FromCuddleLand · 27/11/2024 20:17

You are correct, scaphoid fractures can be hard to see on plain film soon after injury. They are sometimes more obvious upon reimaging after a period of a few days. You should return to ED and explain the pain you still have. Management of a scaphoid fracture depends on where the fracture is but it can in the worst circumstances be serious as the blood supply to the bone can be compromised and surgery is needed. You should definitely get it checked out and not leave it
Student Radiographer

JurassicPark4Eva · 27/11/2024 20:16

A bad sprain is more painful than a broken bone in my experience.

I first sprained my left ankle 11 years ago and it's never been right since. The worst sprain I managed was just before Covid lockdown #1 and the xray showed no break this time but several healed fractures from my many ankle collapses in the preceeding 5 years - all of which I'd treated as a mild sprain.

So if you're being told it's a sprain it's most likely a sprain. Pain alone is not an indicator of it being broken.

Dotto · 27/11/2024 20:13

The treatment probably wouldn't be any different though, either way.

Flute56 · 27/11/2024 20:12

The other reason for going to the GP is to see if I've had a fractire as noted above

OP posts:
Flute56 · 27/11/2024 20:11

An unrecognized fracture, also known as an occult fracture, can be mistaken for a sprained wrist. A fractured scaphoid bone in the wrist is a common example of this.

OP posts:
Valid8me · 27/11/2024 19:41

An xray won't show tendon or soft tissue damage but it will show whether it is broken or not. It's been 2 days, strap it up, keep taking the painkillers and try not to use it if you can.

The Dr probably said that it should get better within 7-10 days as that is the average time that it takes for most people. What did you want them to say, 'Sorry, I have no idea when it may get better'?

JollyGreenSnake · 27/11/2024 19:25

Splint, antiinflammatories and give it a little time, OP!

TwinklyAmberOrca · 27/11/2024 16:45

It's only been 2 days and they said nothing is broken.

Give it 10 days and see if it's feeling any better then.

I rolled my ankle which took over a week to start feeling better then 9 weeks in total to stop hurting.

EmotionalSupportPotato · 27/11/2024 16:42

Did you say at the time? Actually I can't move my fingers so how will I type?

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