Can a FOOSH Cause Tendinitis?

by Steve
(North Carolina)

Hello,


I am a 52 year old male in good health. On December 15th I suffered a FOOSH in a bike crash. My wrist felt somewhat bruised and sprained but not really painful unless I mechanically loaded it in the wrong way.

After the holidays it was still bothering me occasionally so I saw a hand specialist on Jan 6th. X-rays and all other examination tests were negative for major problems and diagnosed bruising of the palm and likely other soft tissue injuries.

The doctor said to avoid using the wrist as much as possible and it should heal in 3-4 weeks. 4 weeks later there was not much improvement so I went back to the doctor. This time he didn't say much but suggested that I might be causing the delayed healing by trying to do too much with my hand and prescribed a wrist splint and another 4 week trial.

This 4 weeks is almost up and it has been nearly 3 months since the injury and there is still very little noticeable improvement. The palm bruise has healed and the wrist is pretty much pain free until I move it the wrong way unloaded or or mechanically load it too much in the wrong way.

The pain is a sharp burning sensation on the back of the wrist localized to the area around the head of the ulna and sometimes in the area between the ulna and the radius. Twisting the wrist seems to make the pain worse but the pain can occur just extending the hand and arm without twisting.

1. Does this sound like tendinitis? Can a FOOSH lead to tendinitis? Is there any way to come to a conclusive diagnosis of this problem.

2. Should it be taking this long to heal? 3 months seems kind of long.

3. Is it likely that there is another underlying and yet undiagnosed cause of of this problem like torn cartilage or meniscus?

4. Is there anything else I should or should NOT be doing to improve the healing process?

This is really starting to get old only having 1 1/2 hands!


Thanks,

Steve



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Joshua Comments:

Hello Steve. Thanks for adding all that detail into your question.

For anybody else reading this, FOOSH stands for Fall On Out Stretched Hand.

I'm glad your Doctor took X-rays. That's all I'm going to say about that, except that I'm not surprised the wrist splints and 4 weeks passing didn't help.

So.....let's see. First, short answers to your questions, then I have some questions to continue to get a more clear idea of what is going on.


Steve asked #1. Does this sound like tendinitis? Can a FOOSH lead to tendinitis? Is there any way to come to a conclusive diagnosis of this problem.

Joshua says: No, it does not sound like tendonitis per se (though it definitely sounds like much of the problem of a Tendonitis dynamic is present in the wrist area).

Yes, a FOOSH can lead to Tendonitis, depending on the damage.


See: What Is Tendonitis


Presuming there was no Tendonitis dynamic in place previously, any kind of injury, or an incident the brain thinks is an injury (even with no rip/tear involved) kicks in a Pain Causing Dynamic.

That explains why somebody can have a fall or small injury
and days, weeks, or months later, pain arrives (or doesn't go away), stays and can get worse even though the 'injury' has healed.



Steve asked #2. Should it be taking this long to heal? 3 months seems kind of long.

Joshua says 3 months does sound really long to not get better or worse.

But it's not outside the 'normal, not surprising' range

It is also a good clue.



Steve asked #3. Is it likely that there is another underlying and yet undiagnosed cause of of this problem like torn cartilage or meniscus?

Joshua says: Yes, but I wouldn't worry about that yet. Even if that's the case, I doubt it's the main source of pain, though definitely related and a significant factor.

My point is, up to a certain level of damage, 'injury' isn't really the problem.

The way the body responds to the injury is MORE of a problem than the injury itself. I'm thinking you're in that category.

I'm thinking that the impact either created some torn ligament/tendon/cartilage or even just a connective tissue tear on the front of the wrist,

or....

As it sounds like most of the pain is on the back of the wrist, I'm guessing you fell forward, the wrist bent/compressed back and created a deep bruising, by which I mean bone, and or the connective tissue wrapping the bone, and/or ligament/tendon/cartilage got bruised.

That kind of bruise can take a long time to heal without the right ways of helping it heal (and even then).

At this point, my suspicion is that you're more in this last category.

The Process of Inflammation is a major player in creating pain/chronic pain.



Steve asked #4. Is there anything else I should or should NOT be doing to improve the healing process?

Joshua says: Absolutely.

But first, help me get a more clear picture of going on.

1. You still have a bruised feeling on the front of the wrist/palm, yes? Please describe that in more detail.


2. When you extend your wrist back loaded or not, is the pain in just a single spot? Is it spread out across the entire line of the wrist joint, or just a small spot? Is the pain always the same? Does it hurt when you aren't doing anything or only when you extend your wrist.


3. When you say bike, is that bicycle, or motorcycle? Mostly my question is, how fast were you going, how far down did you fall. Did you roll, or just do an impactful push up, basically.


4. Did you land on both hands?


5. Were you wearing gloves when you FOOSHed?


6. Do you have pain anywhere else in the forearm, elbow, shoulder?



Answer the above questions, and then let's get started getting you out of pain.

1 and 1/2 hands gets old. I'm happy to work with you to get you back to a full 2.




----------------------
Please reply using the comment link below. Do not submit a new submission to answer/reply, it's too hard for me to find where it's supposed to go.

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Joshua Tucker, B.A., C.M.T.
The Tendonitis Expert
www.TendonitisExpert.com










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Mar 09, 2009
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RE: Can a FOOSH Cause Tendinitis? PART 2
by: Steve



1. You still have a bruised feeling on the front of the wrist/palm, yes? Please describe that in more detail.


The pain here has mostly subsided and was centered around the bone bump across the palm from the base of the thumb. If I press here on it is still a little tender but not near what it was originally.


2. When you extend your wrist back loaded or not, is the pain in just a single spot? Is it spread out across the entire line of the wrist joint, or just a small spot?

This is not painful unless I apply more backward force with the other hand. The ROM of this hand seems to be about the same as the other.

Is the pain always the same? Does it hurt when you aren't doing anything or only when you extend your wrist.

The pain is not always the same or in the same place. It sort of surprises you when you least expect it! Sometimes it feels like it is on the outside of the bump by the ulna. Other times between the ulna and radius. Twisting the wrist seems to be painful even more so when loaded. Also reaching behind my back is painful.


3. When you say bike, is that bicycle, or motorcycle? Mostly my question is, how fast were you going, how far down did you fall. Did you roll, or just do an impactful push up, basically.

This was a bicycle crash caused by a dog attack. I was going about 20 MPH at the time and landed on my right hand and side and slid to a stop. The bike has clipless pedals so any time you go over you go over hard because you can't put your foot out.


4. Did you land on both hands?

No, just the right one.


5. Were you wearing gloves when you FOOSHed?

Yes, and they were padded but that didn't seem to help much!


6. Do you have pain anywhere else in the forearm, elbow, shoulder?

No.





Thanks,

Steve


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Joshua Comments:

Good, I find nothing worrisome in your answers.

Ok. -Maybe- you have a tiny ligament or cartilage tear. Nothing to do about it that is better than what I'm about to suggest. (Surgery would cause injury, and if it's not a big tear..surgery may or may not be able to reconnect what tore...but the wound of surgery can be worse than what's already in there.)

For sure you have some deep bruising and an unhappy, overprotective nervous system, and a chronic inflammation keeping everything on heightened alert.

I suggest that you start Ice Dipping as I describe on the How To Reduce Inflammation page.

Hit it hard for 7 days, feel free to Ice Dip more than the 10x. The more the merrier.

Also, increase your protein intake just in case there is/was a tear.

I'll be very surprised if the bulk of your pain isn't gone by the 8th day.

Having said that, there may or may not be more work to do, so Ice Dip like a crazy man, and let me know what happens.

Keep me updated, and ask any questions.





Jul 24, 2015
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FOOSH cartilage tear
by: Anonymous

Sounds like a triangular fibrocartilidge ligament complex tear to me!



Oct 23, 2015
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FOOSH
by: 61

age 61 female FOOSH 8 weeks ago ....muscle spasm in neck/shoulder and arm of same hand.
pain on top of the hand/ when I turn my hand inwards sharp pain down ulna area...

dry needling for muscle spasm for 8 weeks now.

i walk fairly fast and tripped over pipes lying across a public pebble footpath -no broken bones but constant pain. when typing I have pain on top of hand close to my thumb.

I can relate to this:
I'm thinking that the impact either created some torn ligament/tendon/cartilage or even just a connective tissue tear on the front of the wrist.


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Joshua Comments:

Hi 61.

CHeck out Magnesium For Tendonitis

1. Twitch and spasm are symptoms of magnesium insufficiency.

2. Falls etc cause the body to clench up, this uses more magnesium.

3. The body needs magnesium to deal with stress of any kind physical emotional mental. So a fall and related pain is going to drop your levels, and everything's clenched up to guard and protect...and it can't let go because not enough magnesium.....








Nov 12, 2015
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FOOSH
by: 61

Thanks Joshua I shall take your advise and try magnesium.



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