Posted on Thursday, 29th January 2009 by Patrick Dorwin
Just a quick update on the arm, but I won’t take up main page space, click through if interested, but it is intended mainly for my own use.
Well, yesterday (Wednesday) was day two for therapy, which means it was the first REAL workout day. I started the day a little stiff & sore from the exercises I had been doing since Monday. The first day of therapy, was a very light workout, and mainly learning the techniques we would be using to regain the range of motion and strength. Since I can do no weight bearing on the arm, it is mainly stretching and bending of the arm and regaining grip strength, which was only about 5lbs. on day one.
I started by loosening up on a machine like a stationary bicycle, with cranks for the arms, three minutes each direction. That doesn’t sound like much, but after an injury like mine, I defiantly felt it. I then went on to do my normal routine of exercises, this was followed by my physical therapist redoing those same basic movements, but using her strength to force things a bit farther than I could do them on my own. Yes, it hurt. A lot. 
Now for a little anatomy lesson, if you look at the x-ray, you see there are two bones in the forearm, those bones are not static, they actually move around quite a bit and even cross as you move your arm and hand in a twisting motion, there is a ligament between these bones that must be worked, so she would manipulate those bones and the ligament by applying pressure to my forearm close to the elbow. This of course does move the broken area, and after a few minutes of this manipulation, my arm, from elbow to fingertips were pretty sore.
Parts of the treatment are more comfortable, like the ultrasound heat treatment. I am able to relax while the therapist spends 10 minutes rubbing the area with the ultrasound “wand”. I also get a 10 minute massage of the arm, this is done because the body sort of cuts off an injured area, the massage allows the fluid that builds up, causing swelling, to flow into the rest of the body to metabolize normally… It also feels real good 
The last thing we do in therapy is ice… ice is sometimes good, but after therapy, someone wraps your entire arm in a huge ice pack and straps it on tight for 10 minutes, it’s pretty painful. Just about the time your arm is numb enough that it no longer hurts, it is time to come off.
The best part of therapy, is while we are doing the ultrasound and massage treatments, we get to talk, and it turns out, she is a staunch Conservative, and anyone reading this knows my political views, so we had a great conversation. I don’t know if she will do my PT through the whole time I need it, because she is 8+ months pregnant, but it makes the time go faster when you can have a comfortable conversation with someone that shares your thoughts on the major news of the day.
Posted in Home | Comments (12) |
12 Responses to “Busted Paw Update”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
January 29th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
I’ve had two broken elbows and ACL surgery. All I can say is keep up the hard work and do exactly what the docs tell you, no more, no less. You come out ahead in the long run. Until then, enjoy this time, because when start the strength building, you are going to be REALLY sore.
January 29th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
By the way, in case I didn’t make it clear…
My freakin’ arm hurts!!!
Thank you.
January 29th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Oh, that sounds so incredibly painful!! Hope you’re still on the good meds…
January 29th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Well, you won’t be “cleaning the pipes” anytime soon.
Did they use a DeWalt, Mikita, or a Milwaukee?
It looks like a part from a screen-door. Will that ever get removed?
January 29th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
er, Makita
January 29th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
No Chris, I am off the good stuff, all OTC now :-/
Ron, I’m not sure, I was a bit distracted at the time. As for the hardware, nope, it’s all mine and I get to keep it forever.
By the way, that isn’t my x-ray, but it looks pretty close.
January 29th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Ohh, that sux. You’ll have to wear clean underwear to the airports from now on.
January 29th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
The good old arm bike.. LOML just finished rehabbing from rotator cuff surgery with a lot of the same treatment types
January 29th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
BHB,
Your rotator cuff injury couldn’t be from napping in your cube chair, could it ?
January 29th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
It was the Love Of My Life’s (wife) rotator cuff. I doubt she was napping in my cloth covered cage. I do think I should check the house for higher than normal levels of alpha particles…
January 30th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Just make the throbbing STOP!
January 31st, 2009 at 9:56 am
Ever have the urge to stick your arm in a woodchipper?