Hand injury from cycling accident

[MOBB]

A week ago - oopsy, over the handlebars, landed on my chest and forearms.

Cuts and bruises healing fine. Ribs hurt but I've got away with them I think thank god! As a 50 year old I know how bad even minor rib injuries can be..............

However - my right hand/wrist was sore from the outset and I assumed I had sprained it. All the online guidance suggested I would be fine, and as it doesnt hurt unless I clench my fist, I assumed the same.

However a week later I cant really use that hand for anything that requires grip, feeble strength and major pain in the whole of the hand if I try.

I've got a call in with my GP but wondered if the PH medical gurus could also offer any non-legally binding advice?

[andburg]

had similar following an off - broke 2 bones in my wrist.

get yourself to A&E just in case but be prepared for a wait

[Bill]

Do you have an urgent treatment centre nearby? It probably needs an x-ray...

[Freakuk]

Lots of bones in your hand/wrist and you could have well broken a few.

I've bust a few metacarpals over the years, hand swelled up, just need a wrist guard for weeks then a stress ball to build some strength.

Likewise, a few years ago I smashed the knuckle on my thumb, went to the walk in centre they said it was bruised and sent me home, a week or two later still no better, I could move the thumb, but it was painful. Ended up using Bupa and seeing a hand specialist, I'd chipped a bone and had some tendon damage, made a custom guard there and then. I then got myself down to Ipswich to see Brian Simpson for laser therapy to get the bone growing/healing ASAP.

[sociopath]

Get it checked properly, but don't expect a quick fix even afterwards. They take a long time to repair

I broke my ring finger in a cycling event in August last year.

This is it today.

Edited by sociopath on Tuesday 2nd May 12:48

[mike9009]

I came off my bike about two months ago (49yo), and my god I don't bounce like I used to.

Weirdly, both my hands were the most painful and damaged. Sliced top of one finger off (dont know how??), probably broke my little finger, so strapped that up myself and then the lower thumb part of the hand still aches a little - but I have full movement back. It took several weeks to get full movement and no pain killers.......

[fourfoldroot]

Get it checked out. There is a possibility of scaphoid fracture which sometimes are very problematic to heal without careful management.

[Saleen836]

fourfoldroot said:

Get it checked out. There is a possibility of scaphoid fracture which sometimes are very problematic to heal without careful management.

I can confirm the above!
Fractured my right scaphoid when I was 17/18 went to hospital x-ray looked clear so told to rest for a week, went back had another x-ray....frature showing so put in cast for 6 weeks,once the cast was removed constant pain and problems which eventually (5 years later) led to me having a CT scan on it followed by a bone graft to repair the fracture

[MOBB]

Thanks all, I contacted my gp and they have asked me to come in tomorrow

It’s actually looking pretty swollen now so I think something might be up with it

[Narcisus]

MOBB said:

Thanks all, I contacted my gp and they have asked me to come in tomorrow

It’s actually looking pretty swollen now so I think something might be up with it

They will probably tell you to go to A&E to have it looked at to be honest you should have just gone.

[Bill]

Narcisus said:

They will probably tell you to go to A&E to have it looked at to be honest you should have just gone.

Depending on local arrangements they may be able to refer straight to fracture clinic.

[bmwmike]

Went over the handlebars last December and bent my thumb right back as I hit a tree. Its still sore now, if i catch it the wrong way and have only recently got full movement back. I presumed it was just tendon damage as that takes a good while to heal. Interested to hear what the OP comes back with!

[MOBB]

Possible spiral fracture of my hand, X-ray needed. Googling this it doesn’t seem too bad to be fair

[Hugo Stiglitz]

I had something like this. Can't remember the term now but it took a couple of weeks to show... First two weeks I was preoccupied with a fractured elbow socket.

A couple of weeks after it'd gone. Think it's fairly common for OTB.

[22]

MOBB said:

Possible spiral fracture of my hand, X-ray needed. Googling this it doesn’t seem too bad to be fair

I did this - swung off a rope into a river and a bizarrely loud 'CRACK' as my finger was momentarily caught in the rope. My ring finger was lying across my palm but also the wrong way up - the sight of it was worse than the pain. Nurse corrected it (like a socket injury) and then splint/plaster. Kept the x-ray I think.

[andburg]

Ok this is motorcycle but the advice to new riders is always head, hands and feet first when buying your first load of gear. You’re more likely to come off at low speed, instinct will throw arms and feet out to try and catch the fall.

[MOBB]

Update - after 10 days the hand had improved fairly well, but the wrist still feels bad.

Xray last week, no breaks seen.

MRI yesterday to check for cracked wrist bones - results Friday hopefully.

Specialist says cracked scaphoid could mean 4 months in plaster........................that wouldn't be great for many reasons :-(

[Brainpox]

Badda said:

Nope, this could easily be booked for an X-ray rather than needing to be seen via ED.

The nhs is a vast beast people. Please stop thinking that A&E is the gateway into it.

That depends on the agreement in your local area. This varies a lot based on local population, service availability, etc. For example, we don't accept GP referrals for x-rays for acute injuries because A&E will always be the better option:

GP x-rays are booked as appointments, not walk ins, so you might be waiting a few days for the x-ray, particularly over weekends/bank holidays
If a fracture is spotted immediately - you get sent to A&E for initial management, who then refer to fracture clinic. Historically the result would be fast tracked to the GP, who you then need to contact to refer you to clinic, but this led to delays, and you're missing the initial management altogether, hence the change.
If a fracture is missed initially - delayed treatment for several days while waiting for formal report.

Meanwhile, areas that can offer walk-in x-rays are likely to be set up completely differently, and will have set pathways for these things to avoid all the issues above.

[Badda]

I’m well aware.
This chap hurt his hand a week ago however, hence the rationale.