Broken finger - rehab

[Rasta]

I broke a finger 6 weeks ago. (Partly ScotRoutes' fault).
Absolutely no chance of any bike riding.

I removed the splint a week ago and started rehab as I need to go on a month's bike trip.

A week later and I still can't close my hand into a fist. I can get my bad finger and its neighbour (they were taped together) to partly curl but no more.
I heard a seized hand was normal. But after 1 week there is no improvement. I can't force it or something will tear.

Anyone had a similar problem and how long before you got your grip back?

Cheers,
Gripless.

[Cheddar Man]

Which finger is it?

I had a mallet fracture to my left pinky, it took ages to get sorted, really, 6 weeks post splint. Luckily though it was my pinky, so no major issue as i just rode with a straight finger!

Good luck, and maybe try a referral to your local physio team if you haven't already got one. The should have someone who specialises in hands in the team.

[Wotsits]

I broke my little finger right through a couple of years ago, healed quite quickly- maybe 4-6 weeks, but took a looooong time to be back to the way it was before. Well over a year, maybe two..

[rufus748]

[quote="I had a mallet fracture[/quote]

yup, me too. As I recall it was at least six months...

[Cheeky Monkey]

Gave myself a "brawler's fracture" (not brawling, though pretty stupidly) couple of years ago.

Couldn't get close to a fist once stopped wearing a soft splint and tapping the fingers together for support. Physio in the fracture clinic at LGI in Leeds was excellent (and lovely to boot!). Specific exercises with a progression from one type to another worked very well, did them religiously several times a day. All came good though can't recall how long, possibly a couple of months.

Other thing was the accumulation of fluids from the injury that needed to be dispersed once everything was off, one of the reasons for having a sling immediately post-injury, IIRC. Anyhow, that had to be cleared by gentle self-massage of the hand / area of accumulation / injury.

Bone breaks continue to heal for quite a long time (think it's 12 months) so good post cast-care is important. TBH, I'd try and see a specialist physio if you want to get proper advice to help the healing and mobility. Wasn't it offered by the fracture clinic? If that's how your initial treatment has been provided.

[ScotRoutes]

Smashed my left pinky at Laggan many years back. The knuckle was so badly damaged it was unrepairable so it's now permanently bent.

Anyroadup - my fault?

[Lazarus]

IME longer than you think
How old are you? the older you are the longer it will be Me [ aged 48

Finger one - index right hand- crashed road bike [04/01/19] somehow hurt this hand and it took about 6 months to make a fist and it still wont bend the other way as far as before - pain free but still not 100 % - no impact on riding afater about 6 months could ride road bike after 6 weeks ish and offroad after about 3 month ish

Finger two - left hand index - jarred baddly playing footbal but not broken[02/08/19- hurts if i make a really tight fist but fine for riding -think i only lost two weeks riding for that one

was a pain for both as it was a braking finger and did have to stop a few times on descents due to sore braking fingers
Might be easier if its a less important finger?

[PaulB2]

I used my little finger to block a poleaxe once, not something I recommend. That took about a year before it was completely usable albeit a bit mishapen.

[Borderer]

Yep as others have said - I have broken two - middle finger pretty badly - took a long time to bend again and now is a bit squint. Fractured a pinky in Cuba so I splinted it with cardboard which helped a lot. Took a while before I could grip properly with that hand though - maybe 3 months.

It takes time. You need to figure out a work around.

[Charliecres]

I have a titanium plate in the little finger on my right hand. I basically crushed the middle bone into small bits skiing. Lots of physio post op but I skied again seven weeks afterwards and it’s now fine - just a little bent at the end.

[ScotRoutes]

I broke a finger 6 weeks ago. (Partly ScotRoutes' fault).

C'mon man. I'm on tenterhooks here!

[Rasta]

Very surprised by the replies.
I thougt I would be told to stop - whining like a front racked hipster bikepacker. (I am none of those )

My break is the same as Wotsits. Maybe the NHS use the same stock x-ray to save money.
I have broken fingers before, but in the hand, 'boxer's break' 5th metacarpals. But this is totally different.

I was looking forward to this winter's big tour. Oman, Argentina hadn't decided yet. Now cancelled.

I think massaging works better than stretching. Seems to loosen up more.
Did anyone use a unicycle as part of their rehab?

Gripless.

[Rasta]

I broke a finger 6 weeks ago. (Partly ScotRoutes' fault).

C'mon man. I'm on tenterhooks here!

So I was just about to head off to Laggan for a ride when ScotRoutes sent a message recommending a route in Cairngorm. As I had been pestering him for some ideas, I felt obliged to do it. And it was a good ride.

But I left it too late to move on to Laggan, so campervaned another night in Cairngorm.
The next morning, there were hundreds of geese flying over - like Lancasters going to Germany.

So to get a good gander, I stepped out of my van quickly and left my little finger behind. Oh! Yes! Ouch!

If I hadn't got your recommendation - ScotRoutes - I wouldn't have been there and wouldn't have bust my finger

[RIP]

I'll try and be glass-half-full here (without minimising your damage of course): you might have avoided something worse at Laggan by not going there! You'll never know, but you might have.

Hmm, on re-reading it that might not be as helpful as I'd hoped .

[Rasta]

I've ridden a few times in Laggan and never had a problem before.

[ScotRoutes]

Yeah, but I broke my finger at Laggan, so there's definitely a risk