After going through the ordeal of a serious wrist break, and subsequent surgery, followed by months of exercises designed to get me back on track, I can only say that - before this last summer - I had no idea what fracturing a limb really involves. Factor in that I am a writer, editor and pianist and this right wrist is my dominant wrist, then…well, I really was in trouble.
The effort it has taken to return to work and my daily routines has been immense - and the time my wrist spent in a cast has been the least of it, in fact. Actually, I’d say that the real work only began once the hospital staff removed my plaster off (for anyone who’s interested in the science of this, here’s a nifty little video - made for kids, but actually enjoyable for those of all ages!)
Once the plaster’s off, you can’t help but become aware of the stiffness in your fingers and wrist. Just moving them was an effort of Herculean proportions - but this isn’t surprising when you consider how many small bones there are in the hand and wrist, and just how complex a fracture in this part of the body can be,
Physio is a must - believe me - and don’t expect it to be pleasant either. If anything, it needs to hurt a bit - because, as they say, “no pain, no gain.” Personally, thought, not only did I find it much harder work than I’d anticipated, but it also gave me food for thought - how the body heals itself, how much education it takes to become a physiotherapist (not to mention patience) and how ingenious some of these gadgets are to help get your limbs moving again.
Save for the ‘gym’ routine (where I cycled on a bike, lifted weights and pushed a large ball back and forth), my lovely physio, Gal, introduced three smart little devices…
Something else that’s imperative here is having a good physio to work with.
They need to be patient and kind, but also determined to push you a bit - not to the point where you are in agony but where it really does make you work your injured limb.
I can’t praise mine highly enough. Gal was incredibly conscious of my injury, how hard I was trying to get myself better and how much pain I often was in. She encouraged me when I needed to keep going and stopped me when I’d done enough.
Find someone who treats you this way!
Firstly, there’s the digital finger press which, shaped like an accordion, forces you to press your digits down on the keys
This was surprisingly difficult, because my thumb and little finger were giving me endless problems…
Then we have the “tennis racket”.
At first this looked deceptively simple - I was forced to put my fingers through the holes and clutch them the other side.
But as the weeks go past, you need to put your fingers further through, and the task of scrunching the plastic in becomes increasingly hard…
Finally, and this has to be my absolute favourite, we have something called ‘theraputty’. A physio version of playdough, this gooey stuff comes in all different colours (representing different levels of resistance - ranging from extra soft to very firm!) It’s perfect for squeezing, clutching and moulding - even taking out of its plastic container is part of the work!
And for the princely sum of £6, I got to buy some to take home, which helped me exercise my wrist whilst watching Netflix, chatting to friends and sitting at my desk (trying to get back into good work habits!)
Who says exercise can’t be fun?