Tilly1

I recently broke my hand. Not cycling, but on my horse! Anyways I found I can still ride my bike (unfortuntly off the horse for a few weeks.) but the pain gets pretty intense sometimes. Anyone have any ideas about how to minimize this? I'm taking 800mg of advil to help, but ugh this is a pain!!!

Maybe I'm just being a wimp afterall this is my first broken bone.

Tilly

MichaelW

Can you reach the brake and control the bike in an emergency ?
What did your doc advise? If doc says imobilise it, then dont ride. take up walking.

Tilly1

The doctor said give a try. I can reach the brake and shift gears ........slowly. My only problem is going over bumps. Ouch!!
And going too fast. Not quick enough with a cast on to get out of the way of some debris in the road. So I have slowed down but havn't fixed the bump problem.:confused:
To say the least no mountain biking for five weeks at least. Bummer!

cbhungry

What did your doc tell you? Also, which bone or part of your hand? That makes a difference. Remember, you can take up to 800 mg of ibprofen 3 times a day to equal prescription strength doses/

Tilly1

I shattered the bones in my pinky finger.
I didn't know I could take 800 mg three times a day. The doc just gave me lortab but that makes me loopy.
They had to put the cast on because there were so many fractures and they had to stabilize the hand. Only three of my fingers are free. So I can do a few things.

Avalanche325

That sounds like a serious break. I would stay on a trainer if you have one. Or maybe go to a spinning class. If it dosen't heal correctly, you will have to deal with it for the rest of your life.

cbhungry

i shattered my pinky finger and had it pinned. I kept riding like an addicted moron but it doesn't affect my biking. I can't straighten it all the way and it doesn't curl completly up but it would only have affected me if I needed the pinky's anchor in swinging a tennis racket or a golf club. Not telling you what to do since mine was pinned and I did not listin to my doc but no harm was done from a biking perspective. Avalanche has a good idea about the spinning classes.

lotek 

mmmmnnnnn lortab.
I just got Rx due to Root Canal, talk about buzzed.
one piece of advice, don't ride and take it, its REALLY
scary
that said, and all kidding aside, if you can't manage an
emergency stop I would recommend giving it a rest.
If you do need to do a panic stop you're either going
to reinjure your hand (or make it worse) or crash.
Don't want to sound like the voice of doom, but
better to be safe than sorry.
Hope you heal fast, and hope the horse is ok too!
Marty

stridercc

I know a bunch of riders who have ridden with injured arms and hands, and I guess the best way to help is to put a couple of extra layers of bar tape on your bars.

-Matt-

John E

Sorry to bear this message, but if in doubt, don't ride. Pain, unfortunately, often accompanies a fracture. If you need to dull the pain with medication, be extremely sensitive to the potential impact on your reaction speed and balance.

After my Colles' fracture of the right radius seven years ago (also not cyclogenic), I took up studio cycling at the YMCA, and I increased my walking and (gentle) jogging distance considerably. I had a full-arm splint for 3 weeks, then a forearm orthoglass cast for 3 weeks. Toward the end of the 6-week period (I think 6 weeks is a constant of orthopedic science!), I finally began riding my mountain bike, which was much easier on my wrist than a road bike would have been. For the next three months, while I gradually regained strength and flexibility, I was glad my front brake was on the left, because grabbing the rear brake was sometimes a bit painful.

Since I had a talented orthopedist and since I avoided re-injury, I made a full recovery.

Chris L

The other thing the pain might signify is that you are doing it more damage by going over the bumps and so on. I agree with John E, if it's still hurting, take some time off and allow it to heal.

cyclezealot

Tilly. You are I are in similiar circumstances. Mine is two completely torn rotor cuff ligaments in the right shouldler.
I am now less sore, So i am back on my hybrid, since the handlebars are higher. This is just annoying but once surgery happens, I will have to get off the bike for a couple weeks. Commuted to work today.. If I felt I could not handle the handlebars quickly, guess I would back off and be on the trainer 100 percent.
Doctor says stay off. Can't afford more injuries. Well, I have had this condition one month now. Couple months , too much of a sacrifice. Good luck. I agree, if I felt I could not handle the bike properly, I would stay off.

bandaidman

i recently suffered several orthopedic injuries in a bike accident 3 weeks ago

being a doctor, i am a terrible patient

my orthopod has recommended a long course of immobilization to try to non-surgically manage my injuries

i could not stand the lack of excercise...so i went for a ride today...hurt a lot and was definitely not the smartest thing to do. a second fall would be disasterous

pain is your body telling you to take it easy or you will suffer more harm

tilly it sounds like you are in an ulnar gutter splint. as a doctor i must tell you to lay off the bike

i myself will go for a ride tommorow

Tilly1

You guys give great advice but I have to say that I did brave the bike today. I took some Advil before the ride, wrapped my hand with extra wrap for cushion and I was off.
I decided that I would do some hill work that way I'm going slow..................really slow!
Figured out if I took my hand off every time it looks like there is a bumb then there is no pain. Which is good! Also glad that the front brake is on the left.
What I did figure out is that downhill going over 35mph is not a good thing. What goes up must come down! At that speed I couldn't catch the potholes fast enough to take my hand off and I was little off balance at that speed.
Overall though good ride. No pain this time and I figured out that I should stay with relativly flat roads and a modest speed.

To those of you who asked about my horse. She's fine that seems to be how it goes with her. However, my show season is shot for this month.
:irritated
Thanks again for all the advice. I'm calling to talk to my doc again just to make it really is o.k. to be on the bike though. Just to be safe.

cyclezealot

Tillie . In a couple weeks during surgery, I will be in your boat..Summer trainers are usually on sale.
Not that bad.. Buy a video tape of a European tour.. Listen to music..Work on pedaling form.. On the trainer, you do not have to use your hands on the handlebars that much.
I must be very careful. On my commute into work today was a little nervous. Winds were terrible. I really slowed down.
By the way.. Once I saw a cyclist, I swear she was riding with a caste on, her arm.... Did not look like white arm warmers.
Wasn't you was it.?

Bandaidman- You choose not to elect surgery for orthopedic problem.. Completely Torn ligaments.. Like to know what I am in for? Or do I? Will it not be fun. Give us good drugs? How long off bike and work. Right shoulder injury. Thanks....CZ.

Tilly1

By the way.. Once I saw a cyclist, I swear she was riding with a caste on, her arm.... Did not look like white arm warmers.
Wasn't you was it.?



Unless you are in the Utah it wasn't me. However I was biking in Idaho this weekend.
It was you shoulder you hurt right? What happened? Is everything going to work out o.k.?

cyclezealot

Hi Tilly.. The bike went out from under me, for reasons I am not sure. Smacked the back side of my right should hard..Two torn ligaments.. Facing surgery. See my ortho tomorrow, finally; after about 5 weeks. If Have to stay off my bike more than one month, I will be nuts. A tour planned for September.

dirtbikedude

Being a DH'er I find I have to ride with injuries all the time. It is just part of the sport. By the end of the season I am usually bruised all over and every joint is sprained. Then I get a couple weeks of rest before I start riding hard again.

Being able to ride with an injury depends on your pain tollerance. The best example I have of this is a friend of mine that i used to ride bulls with. He broke his arm in a couple of places. When he went to the Dr.'s the doc took ahold of his arm and asked, " Does this hurt?". He replied "No." Then my friend asked him, "What is that going to tell you? Pain is all reletive... "

Basically, if you have a high tollerance for pain, keep riding. The only problem is you need to know how far you can push it before doing even more damage. And if you unsure then stay off the bike.

Chris L

It also depends on the severity of the injury. Basically, if something has been broken, let it heal properly.