Rats! Took off for 2 week dream trip to the Pacific Northwest on 9/5 planning to hike and kayak in Washington’s Olympic peninsula and Vancouver Island but fell hiking the second day and fractured the distal head of my left humerus at the shoulder joint.
Anyone here have experience with that injury and suggestions for what to expect for recovery and paddling mobility? Fracture isn’t dislocated at all and doc has me in a sling for two weeks. Can’t lift my arm more than a few degrees for now. Figure I’m out of the game for paddling this year. Bummed.
On the positive side, the Olympics, Cascades and Vancouver Island were spectacular. And I got to sample the Canadian healthcare system – very handy, efficient, patient friendly, prompt and inexpensive. So much for all the derogatory blather about “socialized medicine.”
I’m in Northeast PA near the Delaware
Paddling, as with all activities requires a healthy body. Be kind and paitent with yourself. Give yourself time to heal completely before you go back to your hobby. Missing a season of paddling because of an injury is not all that unusual. Unfortunately, turning an injury into a chronic injury isn’t all that unusual either.
Not That Particular Bone…
but I’ve broken quite a few. Broken bone good. Torn tendons, ligaments, muscles bad. If you’re like me you’ll be fine in short order. Sorry you got hurt.
I feel your pain…literally
I broke my left humerous bone back in September 2007. I still feel pain in it from time to time. Sometimes it’s pretty bad but not often. It’s weird how it is though. Sometimes I can pick up one of my kids and have no pain while other time putting a gallon of milk in the fridge hurts. Mine broke about halfway between my elbow and shoulder diagonally. So I have a plate and 8 screws holding it together.
I didn’t start kayaking until a month ago and have only been twice but neither time has been an issue. So, take it slow and do physical therapy, etc. and you’ll probably be out on the water sooner than you think.
preserve range of motion
The main thing with injuries involving the shoulder joint area is to preserve range of motion. A “frozen shoulder” can sometimes develop surprisingly quickly after a period of immobilization.
Presumably your doctor will set you up with a physical therapist to outline a program of range of motion exercises. When you get the go ahead, follow them religiously.
broken bone
There is nothing funny about a broken humerus. I did this about 15 yrs. ago in a skiing accident. Pblanc is correct. Make sure you establish a good range of motion. Ther is an exercise called " walking the wall " where you stand adjacent to a wall and slowly crawl up with your fingertips to stretch out your shoulder. Good luck.
shoulder
Totally agree with pblanc.
Work in PT to maintain range of motion or to reestablish it. If your Doc doesn’t strongly recommend PT, insist on it. A good PT program is astounding in how it can help full recovery. I make this statement not as a PT, but as one who benefitted from PT after severe shoulder injury and subsequent 3 hr. reconstruction.
Best wishes in your complete recovery.
Dave
Keep up your PT no matter what!
Didn’t have this, but had rotator cuff surgery. Do the physical therapy till you’re convinced you’re done, regardless of insurance cutoffs. Range of motion, flexibility and then strength are the prescription.
Shoulders are not easy!
They are held in place by the dynamic tension of the musculature, not by the socket. So you have to tighten that up with strength and let tendons, etc., which takes time.
thank you
It has been encouraging to hear from others with similar injuries and the advice on PT is a good heads up.
I did see my hometown orthopod yesterday and he confirmed the break is hairline and around the head of the bone just below the socket with no displacement (so, fortunately, no surgery.) This same ortho group did my right wrist surgery 4 years ago and quickly got me into Their excellent PT clinic that resulted in complete function with that joint. So I have high hopes for full (or close to) recovery for this one too. I just have to wear an immobilizing sling for two more weeks but he encouraged me to move as much as I can as long as I feel no pain. By now it feels OK though I’ve got some spectacular bruising from all the blood leakage between the muscle fascia. Looks like a truck ran over my arm!
Maybe we will get decent snow this winter and I’ll be able to cross country ski – I imagine that sort of non-load bearing movement might help strengthen it and improve range of motion.
Now I’ll be interested to see what the bill is going to be from the doctor here for evaluation and x-rays versus the $216 it cost me for the same in Canada.
What I learned from this little adventure is to avoid walking on trail stepping “stones” made of sliced logs. The suckers are slippery. So if you ever walk out to see the spectacular cliffs and sea caves at Point Flattery at the NW tip of the Olympic Peninsula, walk on the pine needles, not the logs. Spectacular view, by the way – must be incredible to kayak down in there.
humus and jokes
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q0s6hOCm6Ec/TdlvbD0oo_I/AAAAAAAAAVA/04rtM2d8onU/s1600/humus.jpg
http://www.seinfeld-fan.net/pictures/jerry/jerry_seinfeld020.jpg
Don’t type too hard
when fighting with Waterbird, Hope you heal up fast
sling
A ruptured joint capsule was one aspect the damages found in the surgery for repair of my trashed shoulder (fell on ice, stuck out arm by reflex).
After the shoulder repair surgery, I had to wear an immobilizing sling 24 hours/day for 4 weeks to allow the repaired joint capsule to heal before beginning 18 weeks of PT. I was instructed to take the arm out of the sling 4 x a day and do small circles with arm hanging down, to prevent frozen shoulder, then back in the sling. I even slept in the sling, with a wall of pillows preventing me from turning over onto the still healing shoulder.
Total PITA, but it was worth it as I now have a shoulder that allows me to paddle frequently. There are some position restrictions in use of that arm, but I've learned to live with them.
Best wishes for full recovery,
Dave
heh, heh
TC1: Not gonna happen. Only slinging that gets my energy now is the one with all the velcro. Can't spare my good arm swatting mosquitos.
Busted Bones
Leaf,
You are probably discouraged at the moment. Being hurt is no fun, but we have all been through it. Be thankful it is a hairline break, no surgery was required and you can still walk and get around.
I was in a mule wreck in 2007 and broke my femur. I could not get out of bed for over 3 months without help. My body came apart at the seams. Walked with a cane after a year. After 4 years I can backpack and hunt again in the big mountains.
Walk as much as you can and start using the shoulder as you are able. Physical therapy is really important. You might be able to start in a therapy pool at first. Best wishes. We are all pulling for you.
Ah yes
Ah, the slippery old Olympic rain forest. I wonder how many times I fell when I camped and hiked there as a kid? Luckily, kids have rubber bones, adults don’t…
My wife slipped on a polished tree root across a trail at the top of a hill in the Ads and broke her arm on 95 degree day. It was a hellish 1 hour hike down, then 1 hour high-speed drive to Lake Placid. Luckily the local med center was so used to skiing injuries that hers was set and done in less than an hour. PT was a real pain, but it came out right in the end - she gets a twinge now and then.
Good luck, bet you’ll be fine.
Thanks, ppine
Yes, I'm very grateful it wasn't a leg -- glad to hear you finally got back on your feet after that break -- must have been awful!
Actually, I inadvertently got the jump on PT because we did not realize for 4 days that it was broken (my boyfriend, a doctor, suspected it might be but I am stubborn and resisted going to the clinic). I hiked 5 to 8 miles every day the first week after the injury since we were on vacation after rigging a support sling with a shawl I had with me.
There is really no pain at this point unless I try to push it too far. I exercise the wrist and elbow at least 5 minutes every hour, can sleep without the sling and am already doing Codman's exercises with the arm that my friend who is an OT described to me. And I will continue to go to the gym 3 or 4 days a week and do most of my normal activities with the 90% of my body that is not impaired.
I have never been one to vegetate when injured -- as long as I don't put any stress on the fractured area that might displace it I think I will recover quickly. Have always recovered with full range of motion with any joint injuries. Move it or lose it, that's my theory. I even demanded the orthopod remove the restrictive cast on my surgically reconstructed right wrist 4 years ago less than 10 days after the operation so I could avoid soft tissue damage and joint seize-up -- he was very reluctant but I proved my point by regaining full flexion and strength in less than 3 months by diligent PT compliance.
I promise I'll be paddling again by Spring.
Take it easy
but do follow the PT advice. I had a bad bike wreck and separated my shoulder (also drove my collar bone into my sternum breaking it into pieces). I had it all screwed back in place and though I get twinges I can paddle all day with no problem. But getting range of motion back was time consuming. Good luck.
sooner PT beats later
I found a study that compared range of motion recovery in nearly 100 cases of proximal humerus fracture – half the patients started PT one week after the break and half started 3 weeks after it, The recovery rates in ROM both short and long term were overwhelmingly better in those who started at one week. Even the suture rate at the break was faster when patients kept the joint active.
I’ve observed that myself over the years with people I know who’ve sustained injuries. As long as it does not reach a point of aggravating or reinjuring the affected area, keeping active is the quickest way to the best recovery.
sooner PT beats later
I found a study that compared range of motion recovery in nearly 100 cases of proximal humerus fracture – half the patients started PT one week after the break and half started 3 weeks after it, The recovery rates in ROM both short and long term were overwhelmingly better in those who started at one week. Even the suture rate at the break was faster when patients kept the joint active.
I’ve observed that myself over the years with people I know who’ve sustained injuries. As long as it does not reach a point of aggravating or reinjuring the affected area, keeping active is the quickest way to the best recovery.
anecdotal evidence
shows that good cardio helps bones knit. Probably worth hunting for some research papers.
Of course, activity has to be something that does not stress the healing bone before it sets.