After the ORIF surgery of right hand wrist fracture, the fingers are stiffened - the finger segments getting as hard as stones (hardened edema) - making the bending of fingers to close the palm as fist almost impossible as the stone hard lower segment of the finger doesn't allow the finger to be bent downwards. The physiotherapist tries mobiisation applying his full might to bend the fingers downwards causing extreme pain to the patient, still the fingers do not bend beyond 90 degrees from their fully stretched position. Is this physiontherapy (extreme torture to the patient) - extending to 2 / 3 / 4 weeks or even more - the only way to restore the fingure movement or there are some easier / painless patient-friendly ways (such as some medication etc.) of treating the stiffened fingers without subjecting the patient to ubearable tortures?
Thanks Tom. In this particular case PT was started 2 months after the surgery, as advised.
@Tom Lattre
How long the PT should usually continue in such cases? Can the patient take up the mobilization exercises on his own comfortable slow pace after 2-3 weeks of initial course by physiotherapist having recovered to about 50%?
Give good analgesia and muscle relaxant prior to physiotherapy it will lessen the pain and might improve the condition. Thanks
There may be various reasons for stiff fingers following wrist surgeries such as lack of occupational therapy and complex regional pain syndrome (reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome) . Best option is to start graded occupational therapy combined with wax therapy . If the stiff ness associated with pain ,then always need to suspect CRPS. so treat accordingly with various measures including drugs and therapy. It would be a long course to get normal functional hand.
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