hand injury - off the bike :(

[rogerspam]

I had a thumb injury from basketball (now retired from it partly due to injuries like this) and it was taking a long time for the pain to subside. Ran into a hand surgeon by chance on vacation in Tuscany at the AirBnB pool. He said "yeah, easily 6 months+ for it to resolve".

It's tough to heal since we use our hands so much--not sure how to do it while riding and with life. If the symptoms are generally improving, patience will likely be the best medicine here. Bracing when possible should help too. I did get a rigid one for a period of time.

[gdw]

See what the doctor has to say and stay away from the bike until you're told it's ok to ride.
A friend is recovering from a similiar injury. She ignored it for as long as possible and unfortunately had to have surgery a couple weeks ago. She had the hand heavily bandaged until the stitches were removed and now has a large brace that immobilizes it. She will be wearing the brace for at least 4 weeks and then transfer to a smaller one for a few more. Her doctor works with athletes and told her that using a spin bike to stay in shape is ok but no riding outside until the second brace comes off.

[makoti]

An Ultrasound for a ligament tear? That's odd. That is an MRI study. You just don't see structures on an US the way you would with an MRI.

[thwart]

Originally Posted by makoti

An Ultrasound for a ligament tear? That's odd. That is an MRI study. You just don't see structures on an US the way you would with an MRI.

Well, ultrasound is being used for a lot more things lately…

https://read.qxmd.com/read/12142590/...s-of-the-thumb

And Douglas lives in Canada, where liberal use of (expensive) MRI imaging isn’t quite so common.

[PacNW2Ford]

Originally Posted by thwart

Yep. Sounds like this common injury:



Not getting this injury treated appropriately leads to early arthritis at this joint, which makes using Campy shifters very unpleasant… among other things.

I have ruptured UCLs in each thumb from a volleyball life when I was younger. I’ve devolved, no opposable thumbs! Getting a proper diagnosis is key. I’ve been living with it for decades and can play golf and pickleball, and shift Campy Ergo. I may consider getting the right one fixed someday and would recommend resolving it correctly as soon as possible. I’ve started wearing a Push brace when I play pickleball. Haven’t tried it on a Campy bike.

[makoti]

Originally Posted by thwart

Well, ultrasound is being used for a lot more things lately…

https://read.qxmd.com/read/12142590/...s-of-the-thumb

And Douglas lives in Canada, where liberal use of (expensive) MRI imaging isn’t quite so common.

That's 22 years old, so I'm guessing US didn't make inroads into this area of diagnostic imaging.
I wouldn't call DX of a ligament tear a "liberal use" of MRI. It's what it does best. Plus, UltraSound ain't cheap. The techs who run it are paid better than MRI.

[buddybikes]

I had a custom brace made in hospital (long time ago) that I could keep riding a bit. Also GOOD carpal tunnel leather braces before surgery. Not perfect, but hopefully should be able to still get out. I recommend finding top notch hand surgeon to diagnose. I had the Red Sox doc. when they broke the curse

[makoti]

Originally Posted by buddybikes

I had a custom brace made in hospital (long time ago) that I could keep riding a bit. Also GOOD carpal tunnel leather braces before surgery. Not perfect, but hopefully should be able to still get out. I recommend finding top notch hand surgeon to diagnose. I had the Red Sox doc. when they broke the curse

I wear a custom brace on my thumb after bending it back a few years ago, plus it aggravated a congenital condition. My guess is mine and the OP's situation is very different, but I agree with you - a good hand specialist is a must.
Here's where I got my splint, JIC someone else has joint issues that might be helped.

https://www.silverringsplint.com/