Question
QUESTION: Hi,
I hurt my wrist when I wrestling, and at first it was a small pain i could handle. Now that my season is over, I have started to lift weights. In some of the lifts my wrist really bothers (for example push ups and other arm workouts). I went to the doctor, and they did not take me serious. They just passed me through because there was a lot of people. Should i go back and demand for a x-ray? Should I stop lifting weights? And if it is a serious injury what would they do to heal it?
Thank you
Please answer a.s.a.p
Nick

ANSWER: Nick,

Where, exactly, do you feel the pain?   Is there any swelling?  Pain when in a push up position is very common with wrist injuries and wrist/carpal joint irritation.  Odds are x-ray will not show you anything unless you have a fracture.   Find a certified sports chiropractor: www.acbsp.com  and you likely will get better care.   My concern is that you be sure to not have an injury in the TFCC zone (triangular fibrocartilage complex).   A doctor trained to examine and diagnose sports injuries will know, as will an orthopedic hand specialist.   If you have a TFCC tear, then you have to brace and rest at the least, and have surgery at the worst.   If you simply have wrist joints that are irritated, then a sports chiropractor can do joint manipulation and various forms of soft tissue therapy to improve your symptoms.  The exact location of your pain would be helpful for me to know.

Dr. G


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: There is no swelling, the pain is in the middle of my wrist, and when I start to twist it in circles my wrist it pops.

Answer
Nick,

Okay. This points away from a TFCC tear.  Good.  See if you can find a certified sports chiropractor on this list: www.acbsp.com  and  also see if they are certified in Graston Technique (use this list: www.grastontechnique.com).   There may be a chance that you simply strained the joint, it is irritated and malfunctioning, and nothing is torn.  These are easy.   If you tore one of the tiny ligaments that holds together the wrist bones, then it's more complicated and you may have to wear a wrist brace for a while, at least when you are doing any sports or activities.   The chiropractor has to do a hands-on examination to get a sense if there is or is not a tear, if there is inflammation or not, or if there are mechanical issues higher up in the arm or elbow that are complicating the wrist issue.  I can't do this over the internet.  Sorry dude.   Good luck with this.  It should get better with a little treatment.

'Best,

Dr. G