broken wrists: recommend a support for returning to riding??

M1llh0use

so after an enormous blunder i've managed to break both my wrists and my left collarbone. had 1 wrist and the collarbone plated so will be back in the saddle as soon as physio gets some strenght back into my arms/hands.

probably best if i get some supports for my wrists and was wondering if anyone has had experience of such things???

:oops:

sparrowlegs78

I saw somewhere in a magazine( can't remember who though) who was recovering from a broken wrist, he seemed to have a wrist support on by 661 i think.
useless info there...sorry :oops:
Caz xx

M1llh0use

yeah seen that they do wristys but was after some feedback as to which ones (if any) are any good...

(ta for the reply tho!)

sparrowlegs78

No probs, hope someone can help you more than I did
Caz xx

mea00csf

maybe something like this:http://www.ergon-bike.com/gb/en/product/gx2-leichtbau. should stop your wrist from dropping and give it some support. Perhaps combine with wrist supports as well. The small bar ends would give different hand position options if you start to get achey

DaveHudson

I broke my wrist in March, I used a 661 wrist guard (I'll have to look into which one) and have some ergon grips to help with spreading the load.

Works well so far.

mobilekat

Ask your physio!

They will be able to best advise you as to the support that you need, as depending upon your fracture you will support in different ways. I am guessing as you are saying its a flying off and landing on out stretched wrists that you did a pair of Colles fractures, (but it could be a Smiths) so depending upon the type of fracture that will affect the direction in which you are weaker.

Good luck, and listen to the physios- and do the exercises they give you as it makes a massive difference as to recovery times!

P-Jay

I broke my elbow and wrist last summer, pretty badly too two operations, 'out' for 8 months and still waiting for an op to have the plate in my elbow removed, the one in my wrist it staying put.

My Physio recomended not using one if I could, and I don't. Maybe it was because I had such a long time off, but he was of the opinion that the quickest wait to build up the strength and for the bine to heal as strong as possible was to not support it.

Can't say if that's the best was for everyone, but my healing went MUCH quicker after I got back in the saddle and starting giving it some grief.

Chrissz

I broke my wrist a while back and have only just got back on the bike (had two pins in it). I spent a week once the cast and pins were off doing basic exercises to regain some grip strength (squeezing sponge balls/tennis balls, wrist curls etc.) and I'm also doing some flexibility work on a daily basis on it.

My forst ride was a short bimble of 20 miles which hurt like hell and ended up with my wrist swelling up. Each subsequent ride got better to the point where I could manage 70 miles comfortably. The only problem I still have is that, as rides progress I find that changing up to the big ring becomes more and more difficult, to the point where it becomes a maximal effort! I also still find that rough patches of tarmac hurt my wrist. So far however, I've managed ok without a guard/support - I'm working on the premise that it will recover quicker if it's forced to work normally.

RS78

Hi M1llh0use,

just wondering whether you had an update on your condition? Due to one almighty cock up off of a dirtjump at the weekend I managed to break my left collorbone in 4 places and my left wrist in 2 places. I've actually been advised by a specialist not to have an op on the collarbone because a bone broken in more places tends to heal better.... apparently...... Anyway i've been told its upto 3 months before i can think about getting back on a bike, was this a similar time for you? How are you feeling now? Do you use any kind of support now?

Sorry for all of the questions but as i'm sure you can appreciate I now have a S**T LOAD of time on my hands (or should I say hand).

Also how in gods name did you get your socks on?

Any advice much appreciated from one and all.

Rob.

M1llh0use

Rob,

accident was in 17th july operation to plate wrist and callorbone was 6 days later.

was off work for 5 weeks with a further 3 of not driving (happily work made arrangements for me to be collected and dropped home again during this time) started riding again in mid october. took it VERY genlty for the first few weeks (wrists still achy at that point but no supports were used in the end)

Did Afan (whites level and the skyline shortcut to the last 4 sections) on the 8th jan and again on the 5th march. (with a trip to Jedi @ UKbikeskills in between) and a trackday on my zx6 at snetterton yesterday with no real problems on the bike apart from the mental issues that i now face doing drops/jumps (i can't) but will sort in the future.

Been in for regular checkups to make sure all is well and last one they've set me up for removing the plate from my wrist (i work in IT and typing has become a bit of an issue with the tendons that control my thumb rubbing on the plate causing pain but none when riding MTB or trackdays)

shoulder not giving any issues apart from the nerve damage that is done by doing the op so have elected not to have this removed as they are twitchy about operating again and doing even more nerver damage (skin below op scar down to about 2" above left nip has very little feeling and can be a bit pins&needles.

any other q's please pm me....

RS78

Thats exactly why the specialist has told me not to have an op on the shoulder, he said that the bio mechanics for your arm pretty much all run near the collar bone so nerve damage is a very real issue. (as you have found out!) I have a check up next week, so I guess they'll just assess me on a week by week basis. Im just praying for it to start fusing on its own.

The breaks in the wrist are very small so I just have a cast, they think that could be sorted within 4 - 5 weeks.

Unfortunately for me Im a self employed carpenter, the faces of the doctors dropped pretty quickly when I told them! And just to add to it all, my wife is 7 months pregnant. Suffice to say mountain biking is not a popular subject in our house at the moment!

Did you have to follow a physio routine after?

I can see how having an accident like that can totally take away your mental confidence for riding drops and jumps. I've read that re-enacting the crash in you mind, but playing it out with successful outcome, ie landing on your wheels instead of your head, can help with getting the confidence back. Trying to remember the day in a positive way rather than concentrating on the negative. Sounds very holistic I know, but you never know what might help. Also in my case a bit of coaching probably wouldn't go a miss!

M1llh0use

problem was with mine that the bone was so badly displaced that there was no hope of it healing but every one needs it's own assessment. good luck with the recovery!

RS78

Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it.

cloudynights

wrist straps are good for wrist injuries i used them for kick boxing, wrap them as tight or lose as you require and they will help. Best of health