Question - Wrist sprain

by John
(Evergreen, CO USA)

Vail Ice - Amphibian

I fell on my left wrist 6 weeks ago mountain biking. I had x-rays done by both my primary doc and a specialist. No fracture was shown, but my specialists said I could have torn a ligament and could need surgery. He said to call in a week and if it didn't feel alot better have an MRI.

My primary doc said a tear was improbable and suggested to not have surgery even if it is torn. It did felt better so I opted out of the MRI.

Now it's been 6 weeks and I'm still having pain. The real significant pain is when I try to do a push up with palms flat.

I"ve seen my primary doc 3 times and he keeps telling me this is normal and it will get better.

My questions to you are there alternatives to surgery? Should I go back to my specialists?
What if I have torn a ligament and do not have surgery?
Is my primary doc too liberal?

Do you have any other suggestions.

I'm very active in sports, (rock and Ice climbing, biking and skiing) and want to continue doing these things at a high level.

Thank you

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Question - Wrist sprain

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Jul 10, 2008
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Rehab?
by: Bart - SII

If you had X-rays taken and a fracture was ruled out, then you are probably suffering from a sprain of the ligaments. Whether or not you would necessitate surgery would be dependent upon how you respond to conservative treatment.

With that said, some type of rehabilitation would be beneficial for you if you are still having pain 6 weeks after your injury. When you fall on the wrist, you can irritate the articular surfaces of the carpal bones - this cause pretty significant pain, and over time can lead to restrictions in the normal movements of the bones against each other - that results in pain with end range extension and flexion (like when you do push ups with your palms flat)

Joint mobilizations to restore the normal gliding of the carpal bones can help alleviate this problem. These are best done by a trained clinician like an athletic trainer, physical therpist, or physiotherapist.

I wouldn't rush into surgery until after going through some type of formal rehabilitation. Surgeons (I am assuming your specialist is an orthopedic surgeon) sometimes tend to jump towards surgery - and that is a good option for some injuries, but for a wrist sprain, conservative treatment first is the best choice - try to avoid the surgery if at all possible.

Talk to your primary care physician about rehab - it might only take 2-3 visits to get things going - and then if that doesn't give you improvement, then recheck with your specialist for further diagnostics and other treatment options.

Hope this helps - comment back with other questions.

P.S. Great Picture! Is that you?!?

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Jul 10, 2008
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Submitted by: Bart - SII

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If you had X-rays taken and a fracture was ruled out, then you are probably suffering from a sprain of the ligaments. Whether or not you would necessitate surgery would be dependent upon how you respond to conservative treatment. With that said, some type of rehabilitation would be beneficial for you if you are still having pain 6 weeks after your injury. When you fall on the wrist, you can irritate the articular surfaces of the carpal bones - this cause pretty significant pain, and over time can lead to restrictions in the normal movements of the bones against each other - that results in pain with end range extension and flexion (like when you do push ups with your palms flat) Joint mobilizations to restore the normal gliding of the carpal bones can help alleviate this problem. These are best done by a trained clinician like an athletic trainer, physical therpist, or physiotherapist. I wouldn't rush into surgery until after going through some type of formal rehabilitation. Surgeons (I am assuming your specialist is an orthopedic surgeon) sometimes tend to jump towards surgery - and that is a good option for some injuries, but for a wrist sprain, conservative treatment first is the best choice - try to avoid the surgery if at all possible. Talk to your primary care physician about rehab - it might only take 2-3 visits to get things going - and then if that doesn't give you improvement, then recheck with your specialist for further diagnostics and other treatment options. Hope this helps - comment back with other questions. P.S. Great Picture! Is that you?!?

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