I fractured my radial head (right arm) after a crash for the second time in three years. After the first break I bouced back real quick and even raced three weeks after the fracture occured. I quickly regained my full range-of-motion. This time I’m not so lucky, Its been 12 weeks and it still hurts and my range-of-motion is only about 90% of normal. The doc said at my 8-week re-eval that everything looks great but it sure don’t feel great.
What are some good rehab exercises for this particular injury?
I just came back from a radial fracture (fractured the head and the shaft). I still don’t have 100% ROM 12 weeks post injury but it has improved a lot since I started back swimming.
Take it easy (“as tolerated” the docs would say), but I’ve found that the repeated reaching forward in the stroke is really helping.
Another thing you can do, while watching TV etc is just place your elbow on the arm of the couch or a pillow and put a light weight in that hand and just let it hang there.
I just healed up from bi-lateral radial head fractures in October. It took me a good 12 weeks to get back my ROM and general aches. I was doing PT 2x per week focusing mostly on massage, streching, curls, tricep extensions and turning your hands palm up/down w/ a hammer in your hand. Good luck!
If not getting better, might need to get some PT to make sure you’re doing all the stretching you can be doing. Also understand that elbows are notorious for getting stiff, sometimes permanently…get into PT to try to prevent this…warm up the joint before stretching, can help…
I also fractured my radial head (left arm) back in October. For about 3 weeks I wasn’t much more then a lump on a log. What worked for me was to just start swimming very, very easily - and doing very light weights. I’m about 16 weeks out now and only have an ache when the weather is going to be crappy.
My doc told me after 3 weeks that there was nothing I could do to make it worse aside from falling on it, so to use it or lose it…
Thanks gang. I should take the time for PT, its just because I started a new job the same week as the fall so I’m trying to conceal my injury as much as possible. The folks at work already think I’m nuts for commuting by bike 60 miles a day, by telling them I fell and busted my arm would only fuel additional commets. This week I’ll try to get back in the water, that was one main difference between my two injuries. When I broke the bone 3 years ago, I was back in the water the same week ‘pushing the envelop’ so to speak.
Is your elbow still swollen? I fractured mine a few years ago and the doc stuck a really long needle into my elbow and removed a bunch of fluid. I regained a ton of range of motion immediately after that. It sounds like it’s been a bit longer for you at this point, so I’m not sure the fluid thing still applies, just a thought. best of luck.
“The folks at work already think I’m nuts for commuting by bike 60 miles a day.”
I like your style, Dave.
Keep the faith. My elbow felt like it would never get back to normal. It took some assurance from the Doc that there was nothing structural in there that was limiting my ROM. He assured me that there wasn’t and I needed to put up with a little discomfort to push the limits.