OpenHealth Q&A

What Could Be Causing My Non-Healing Wrist Injury After 10 Months?

I'm reaching out because I have a lengthy but crucial story to share about my wrist injury that has yet to heal after ten months. Your insights would be greatly valued. To start at the beginning, I was a thin teenager at 16, weighing 53 kg and standing at 174 cm. After practicing martial arts for two and a half years, I transitioned to bodybuilding, increasing my weight to 70 kg over the following year and a half. At 18, I decided to return to martial arts and resumed Thai boxing. Initially, I was pleased to find that I was significantly stronger; however, I soon began experiencing discomfort in my wrist. Initially, I dismissed the discomfort as I had encountered similar sensations when starting martial arts before, believing my body would adapt over time, as my coach had assured me the pain would diminish. Unfortunately, the pain did not subside. During one of my training sessions, I struck the heavy bag with an uppercut and felt an intense, sharp pain on the ulnar side of my right wrist. Although my wrist was not in an extreme position at the time, I recognized that it could have moved unexpectedly while making contact with the bag. The pain made it impossible to continue or even to rotate my wrist effectively. I immediately stopped, applied ice, and took time to rest. After a few days, the severe pain faded, and I regained some mobility, although pronation and supination were still limited. About a month later, I could perform everyday tasks without discomfort, such as writing or lifting lightweight items. However, when I returned to training, the pain resurfaced, particularly on the ulnar side during workouts. Even basic exercises involving pushing caused sharp pain, making push-ups and bench presses unbearable. Concerned, I consulted a medical professional who diagnosed it as a bruise and recommended an x-ray, which returned negative results, showing no bruising or visible injuries. She advised two weeks of rest. I adhered to this, but the same pain persisted upon my return to the gym. I incorporated wrist-strengthening exercises into my routine, yet they did not alleviate the discomfort. I modified my workout to focus solely on pulling exercises that didn't exacerbate my pain, but I still experienced discomfort nearly every time I trained. It felt as though something was amiss within my wrist, with a persistent sensation of stiffness and burning on the ulnar side. After three frustrating months with no improvement, I sought the opinion of an orthopedist. He ruled out bone issues through x-rays, checked my tendons for tears and noted there were no full tears but suspected possible minor ones. He recommended a wrist splint for three weeks, combined with anti-inflammatory medication, and advised rest. Despite following his instructions and easing back into workouts with lighter weights, the pain continued unchanged. In an effort to heal, I made the difficult decision to step back from bodybuilding while exploring swimming instead. Interestingly, I encountered no pain during or following swimming sessions—comforting news after many frustrating months. Yet, I still felt pain with specific wrist movements or while lifting certain objects. Back to the orthopedist I went, where an MRI revealed no anomalies or injuries, leading the doctor to recommend a corticosteroid injection for inflammation, followed again by a two-week rest period. Sadly, this also yielded no improvements in my condition. The final suggestion from my orthopedist was to wear a full arm splint for three weeks, immobilizing my wrist entirely. I complied, keeping my arm supported the entire time, with only limited use of my thumbs. After enduring the splint period, I commenced wrist-strengthening exercises without weights, gradually adding light resistance. Initially, it seemed my condition was improving, but I ultimately faced another setback—the discomfort surged and became more pronounced. Fast forward to today. After enduring this struggle for ten months, I recently attempted to reintroduce strength training to my routine with light weights, only to experience overwhelming pain once again. My wrist is now more sensitive than ever, incapable of handling anything heavy without severe discomfort. Some additional context may be helpful: I maintain a vegetarian diet rich in dairy and eggs while being mindful of protein intake. I take daily multivitamins and omega-3 supplements, with previous blood tests revealing no nutrient deficiencies. After the injury occurred, I occasionally applied a topical gel to help manage the pain. Interestingly, I've found that my wrist pain tends to worsen during hangovers or unexpectedly due to weather changes. At this point, I'm at a loss. What could this persistent pain signify? How can I effectively rehabilitate my wrist? It feels implausible to think I may suffer from this injury indefinitely after just one incident at 18. Despite my extensive and diligent approach to recovery over ten months, I'm still in search of a solution. As a final note, I've adapted my movements to avoid pushing actions that would extend my wrist. Whenever I push with an extended wrist, I experience a severe burning pain in the midsection of my wrist and on the outer sides of my hands—a sensation I've developed only in recent months. Could this pain result from the lack of movement in that position? Is the muscle in that area weakened after a protracted period of disuse? Any guidance you could provide would be immensely appreciated!

Answers (1)

3/25/2025, 6:40:54 PM

OpenHealth AI

I'm sorry to hear about your persistent wrist pain. It sounds incredibly frustrating, especially after ten months of trying various treatments and making significant adjustments to your routine. Let’s look at some potential causes for your ongoing pain and outline steps to help you rehabilitate your wrist effectively.

Main Points

Your wrist pain could be due to several factors, including potential tendon damage, synovitis (inflammation of the synovial membrane), or post-injury stiffness. Given your timeline and the absence of clear findings on imaging, addressing both mobility and strength while managing pain is essential.

Explanation

1. Potential Causes:

   • Tendon Issues: Even minor tears or tendonitis can lead to prolonged pain, especially in athletes.
   • Stiffness and Impingement: After a long period of disuse or immobilization, the wrist can become stiff, leading to the pain felt during movement.
   • Synovitis: Chronic inflammation can occur as a response to injury, potentially causing ongoing discomfort, especially under load.

2. Pain Patterns: The increasing sensitivity and pain you experience during certain movements suggest that your body may still be reacting more to the injury than to the healing process.

Next Steps

1. Pain Management:

   • Heat vs. Ice: Try alternating between heat and ice, particularly before and after activities to manage pain and inflammation.
   • Over-the-Counter Pain Relief: Continue using NSAIDs (like ibuprofen) within the recommended doses for pain management if you’re not contraindicated from doing so.

2. Gentle Rehabilitation:

   • Physical Therapy: Ideally, consult with a physical therapist experienced in sports injuries who can tailor a rehabilitation program. Focus on progressive range-of-motion exercises.
   • Mobility Exercises: Start with gentle stretching of the wrist and fingers. This can help improve flexibility without over-stressing the joint.
   • Progressive Strengthening: Once mobility improves, slowly introduce resistance exercises. Begin with isometric holds and gradually add weights as tolerated.

3. Activity Modification:

   • Avoid Aggravating Activities: Continue to challenge your wrist but avoid movements that cause pain (e.g., push-ups). Engage in low-impact activities like swimming, which you've found comfortable.
   • Ergonomic Adjustments: When performing daily activities or engaging in sports, ensure your movements are biomechanically correct to avoid further strain.

4. Monitoring Changes:

   • Keep a pain diary to track activities, pain levels, and any patterns that emerge. This can be helpful in understanding triggers or movements that exacerbate your pain.

5. Nutritional Support:

   • As you’re vegetarian, ensure you maintain adequate protein intake for recovery and healing. Consider adding diverse sources such as legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Conclusion

Your case is complex, but with a careful, structured approach to rehabilitation and pain management, there is a strong potential for improvement. Focus initially on gentle mobility work and pain relief strategies while gradually building strength. Stay patient, as healing from injuries can take time, especially when compounded by factors such as inflammation and disuse.

Please reach out if you have more questions or need adjustments to this plan.