Broken radius / ulna

[Mummabear310]

Evening all,

can you share your experiences of bone healing in cast. Had my accident on 20th July, broke my radius and ulna. Had reduction has slightly moved but nothing bad just very minimal. I’m now 25 days into injury and today the cast feels very heavy and I have a sharp pain that shoots through and throbbing probably lasting couple minutes every couple hours If I move the cast in a certain position the pain eases completely. If I place the cast in a weird position it gets more intense. Still moving fingers without pain. My cast is from knuckles to shoulder. I suppose what I’m asking is anyone have any recovery stories? Does it sound normal for the healing process? I’m due to get new cast Monday
T I A x

When I had a bad arm break + pins, it was uncomfortable or painful in certain position. Shooting pains are normally nerve pains. The cast is mould, as swelling goes down, you arm can move a little but that can mean at certain positions a bump inside the cast has shifted and is push down on your arm inside and trapping the nerve. The weight and different positions thats you hold your arm in a cast can also irriate your shoulder and nerves causing shooting pain. Also how you comfortable you are when sleeping? While asleep you can accidentally have the arm in uncomfortable position and it can twinge for a while.
A cast change is to assess and ensure it remains comfortable as swelling and muscle mass changes. Its probably the right place to mention the pain. But a new cast may just fix it.
And keep working those fingers to try to maintain the strength and movement. Its so important to try to avoid the need for physio.
Good luck!

Have they said why they've e left you in an above elbow cast for 3 1/2 weeks? Is there a plan to change it to a below elbow cast? They're risking significant and permanent loss of elbow function by immobilising it for so long....

Modern treatment is to fix fractures so you can move the joints unless there's a reason why the risks if doing that are very significant....

@BeauGeo I sleep like a baby when I wake up in the morning it feels fantastic but we get to about 3/4 o’clock in after and I’ve noticed the pain is there a lot ( pain description would be when you kick ya little toe hard!) then it eases off. Just praying my bones haven’t shifted and that’s why I’m now getting this type of pains / aches.

@FixTheBone they wanted to immobilise the whole arm to give it a better chance at healing in the reduction placement. Monday they have said the elbow part will get removed and will only new have a half cast replacement. Just don’t know if the pains/aches are normal. Yes it’s aching from my shoulder, elbow and the wrist. I’m stressing myself out, I have bad anxiety