Hurt to Healed

I have a friend (let’s call him Dan) who I would climb with years ago. He stopped climbing due to various injuries to his back and shoulder, but he was also experiencing wrist pain. We would get together for dinners with friends here and there and would always just casually mention, “Oh yeah, I have this pain in my wrist, what should I do for my wrist?”

If you are a health care provider, or even a wellness provider, you know how these questions go at social events or get-togethers. You mention what you do, and all of a sudden you are the Ask Jeeves of the party. Then you will also know that it is rather difficult to do a comprehensive assessment as well at said party, and really all that can be done is a quick screening and general answers that are not specifically tailored to that person.

So with Dan who’d mention his wrist pain every now and then, I’d try to give him the quick free advice that I could. But pain was not improving with the general exercises I had casually discussed. As time went on, Dan then became more serious about this pain in his wrist, and we finally scheduled a formal assessment. Dan had full range of motion. He did not have pain to palpation or with special tests or resisted motions or even with bearing weight on his wrist. He said he had pain during surfing to push to stand, and at the end of gym workouts when his arm was tired and he would do maybe 20 pushups.

So I had Dan do 20 pushups.

And there it was, the pain he had experienced where he could then describe and localize it. At this point is where I could watch him do these pushups and determine which direction we would take his rehab program. With the initial proprioceptive exercises and light strengthening, he went back to surfing with less pain. After coming back for instruction in progression of his strength program and proximal strengthening as well, Dan went back to the gym and completed his pushups without pain.

“[Surfing] was good! I’ll do a chest workout this week and let you know how that goes.” —2 weeks in

“Did a chest workout last night. Wrist held up okay!” —1 day after surfing

These wins make my day! To hear pain leaving and true potential in surfing and workouts being accomplished —that is the biggest reward in my work and what I love to do. We still have work to do to progress strengthening in the whole arm (shoulder to wrist), but Dan is heading in the right direction, and I am so proud to call him my friend for recognizing his need for professional help and putting in the work.

Call if you are ready

If you are ready to try something else if what you are doing is not working, let me know! Call or fill out a form to book your free consult/screening.