Quick Recap - In August my cow trapped my wrist between herself and a metal pole. I didn't see a Dr for it, figured it would heal on it's own. It didn't. In late November I gave in and went to the Dr. They did X-rays. Didn't find anything. They sent me to a specialist. He didn't know what was wrong so gave me 'restrengthening' exercises to do at home. I was working out in the barn and re injured the same wrist. I had to go into the ER because there was a small bump sticking up out of my wrist and the nurse I talked to on the phone thought that it was a bone and that I had broken or fractured my wrist when I re injured it. The ER did x-rays, found a stress fracture right where the bump was, told me to set up an MRI through my specialist, and sent me home with a splint. The MRI found NOTHING... The stress fracture was gone. My wrist was still in severe pain, and the pain killers did little to help it. i convinced my Dr to do a EMG (He had previously thought that there might be some nerve damage but wasn't sure if he wanted to do the EMG). The EMG found nothing. The only thing that the Drs could tell me was that I DO NOT have carpal tunnel syndrome. Well, that's great but I'd kinda like to know what I DO have. I gave up on the whole Dr idea and just lived with the pain. I tried to push through the pain and use my wrist as much as possible. Finally, I gave in and went to a chiropractor on Monday. He found the problem right away and said that I had scar tissue in my wrist which was causing the joints to be out of alignment.
My wrist felt good immediately after the appointment. I could do things that I haven't been able to do since August (Like turn a door handle). Tuesday and Wednesday my wrist was sore (Like a bruise), but I'm pretty sure that that was normal. I mean, he was using a "percusser" instrument (A really strong vibrator) to break up the scar tissue and was digging into the muscles with his hands to get what the instrument couldn't. I figured a little soreness was normal.
But today... I can't use my wrist/hand/arm AT ALL! I went to go pick up my son out of his crib (He's soon to be 16 months). My arm went dead and pain shot up my arm. I dropped my son (He's fine, he landed on his butt on the mattress. I felt horrible though). I picked him back up with my right arm and set him on the ground. Then I was trying to make us breakfast and grabbed an egg out of the fridge with my left hand. Again my arm went dead and pain shot up my arm. I dropped the egg.
What is going on?! This is worse than it was before I saw the chiropractor!
I have to work 4-9 tonight (I'm a cashier at wal-mart). My regular Dr won't see me about my wrist, she told me that I need to see the specialist about anything wrist related. I don't know if I want to pay the extra money for the specialist when he had no idea what was going on the first time around. What do I do?
I would call the chiropractor and see what they say. I would guess you should be icing it or heating it or both.
V.:
You need to pay the money for a specialist. Call the chiropractor and tell them the problems you are having - however - since you felt violated with that chiropractor, I would select another one.
It could be nerve damage because you didn't take care of it when you first injured it. This is the consequence of that action. Instead of making the same mistake twice - go to the specialist - orthopedist, most likely, to get the damage assessed and go from there.
swelled nerve casings and pinched nerves will do this. I'd say its beyond a chiro, and now its specialist time, or permanently lose the use of your arm.
I had a dislocated shoulder back when I was 15. I had to have put back in several times since then, for things as small as reaching behind me to grab something. The latest was stopping my son from jumping on the couch. Where it came out and would NOT go back in for anything. I had to go in, 3 medical professionals, a towel, and a lot of courage, had to help me get it back in. Now I have little use of it since that time. I can type, I can pick some things up, but I can not rotate it, or throw a ball, or anything more than a mere range of motion. I have pinched, irritated, and swollen nerve casings. I guess there is muscle and scar tissue pushing against them, or so I have been told. I am also told I need surgery to have it work again, and its pretty severe. There is long term effects if I don't have it. So I am trying to decide what I want more. use of my arm, or no more kids (cause I wanted my tubes tied this year too). Still in debate.
If the procedure did break up scar tissue, maybe some hasn't dissolved and is stuck where it shouldn't be or the procedure caused inflamation, something. Talk to him first for information only to get some more clues than see someone else as you didn't have good feelings about him. I think I would want to pin down specifics before you have anything more done to your wrist.
Also, I don't think this procedure should have been done if there was any concern you might have stress fractures in the bones of your wrist. The vibration could have caused further damage. I would forget Chiropractic for this until you know definitively about the fracture.
Have to add, my husband is a Chiropractor so I am not against Chiropractic. Just sounds like this one should have taken into account you may have a fracture before treating you as he did.
Just go see the specialist...it is obvious that this will NOT get better by chance...
Yes it costs more but ummm...hello...your in pain and it's been a long time
I realize I am late in responding to this. However, I'm trying to grasp your world. I don't understand your priorities. This is your health you are talking about.
You want a home you can't afford, a wedding that you can't afford and you write about this. This is an appendage will you NEED for the rest of your life. Spend the money to go to the specialist. If you do not and you wait like you have done, it's like you are an ostrich and putting your head in the sand thinking it will all take care of itself. It's not. The longer you wait, you could be causing nerve damage. Unlike muscle damage, nerve damage is NOT reversible. If you lose feeling in that arm - how will you function?
What is your fiance saying about all this? If he says "we can't afford to go to the specialist" then you need to drop him like a lead balloon.
Call the creepy chiropractor and ask him if this usually happens, why and what can be done.
Your arm is going momentarily dead -- totally dead -- and you're going to work tonight and asking the doctor about appointments?
Go to the emergency room now. Stay there and fight with every doctor who comes near you until they resolve this. Please, please get help before the damage is permanent and you lose the use of your arm for good. Imagine life with your small child, and you with only one working arm. Forever.
Sounds like a malpractice lawsuit for your doctors is down the road, too.
Often it takes several visits with one doctor for him to be able to figure out what is going on. I urge you to make an appointment with the specialist and to continue with him for follow ups.
I would also call the chiropractor since this occurred after that treatment. Because if this was caused by the treatment and it's an indication of further damage you want that to be on record. Because you're not comfortable with the chiropractor I would not go back to see him. If after seeing the specialist you want to see a chiropractor go to a different one.
First, see the specialist!
If I hadn't heard everything from before today... by the way it sounds today sounds like tendinitis. I would get it when I was bar tending. Its caused from repetitive motions. Mine came on out of the blue, there was no warning signals. You can go to Walmart ( since you work there that should be no problem ;) ) and buy an arm brace. Its about an inch wide and it goes about 2 inches down from your elbow. With that I was able to grasp things again, but you still have to be careful not to keep doing the repetitive motions ( side to side is the worst action!) for 4-6 week while wearing the brace. It should be better then.
When I had it I had no strength in my hand or arm. It was almost like jell-o and there was no grasping anything! Everything would fall right out of my hands. The pain was also horrible. I could sit and cry because it hurt so bad.
Give this a try.. what else do you have to loose? You have already seen the dr and had many tests done...
Chriopractors have there place, I use to go to one but at some point they do not work for a ceritan treatment... AND as someone else mentioned they should not have done that treatment if there were any hint of fracture. I would have done another x-ray, it could be this stress fracture could only be seen in a certian position.
I would see a specialist... if you are lossing function any where in your body and it keeps happening I would pay the extra money to see a specialist. What I do is get a recommendation from my regular doctor and figure out with insurnace where to go that is good but they will help cover the cost.
For now the only thing I would do is not use that arm/wrist for a while. Heat it to help lower the swelling, take advil to help with pain and the swelling. Main thing is it needs rest... so if you have to work figure out how to work with out using that wrist, a brace at least for now will help limit the movement.
