Swelling - any tips to reduce it?

Hi

I had a mishap yesterday & fell onto the kitchen floor which is concrete covered with Lino. I fell onto my knees &'right hand/thumb. I had to get my brother to come & help me up. I have OA in both knees which makes it very difficult to kneel on them to get up etc.

My right hand is very swollen & I can't bend my thumb due to pain & swelling. I have a Futuro splint & am using it. I suspect I have did some damage at the base of the thumb. It's not this painful & swollen for nothing however there is little a hospital could do other than strap it up, which I have done and painkillers, which I have. So, is there anything I could do to try & reduce the swelling? I've tried ice and heat to no avail and resting it as much as possible. The latter isn't easy as I care for my 90 year old mother 24 x 7.

Ay advice folks?

Hi Helen I had a similar problem with my left thumb following a fall some years ago . It still causes me pain some days and I have trouble doing fiddly things like buttons.

All I can suggest is the things you are doing already , lots of ice and sitting with you hand raised on a pillow. I used to sit with my hand in a bowl of iced water which gave temporary relief by making my hand numb.

I tried a brace which didn't help. I also went to the Dr who arranged for me to have acupuncture. I only went once , it was a nightmare, the nurse stuck a needle in a nerve and caused unbelievable pain.

I do hope your thumb improves soon.

They say RICE

Rest, Ice, Compression Elevation..

Takes time of course. Tomorrow then tomorrow...

Poor you I know how painful this sort of fall is and your pride gets hurt too doesn't it?

Have you been to the hospital? I wasn't sure what you meant by the sentence I have highlighted. There is a small bone at the base of the thumb and if this is broken you will need a plaster cast which will make it feel much more comfortable. It is called the Scaphoid but it would need an xray to confirm a fracture.

Ice, ice and more ice and just what Mini has said up there along with rest. Ice is for applying BEFORE rest, not before you go to use anything, and heat is applied before you want to use something that's damaged. I learned that from my very experienced physio lady.

Ten minutes at a time, no more, no less, it doesn't work after 10 mins apparently, but you can do it as often as you like, say every couple of hours?

I did something terrible to my thumb weeks ago now, I still can't use it to grip anything with, as it's painful at the base now, very painful, and I had to ice it to get to sleep for many nights.

Poor you, you must be in pain. Take plenty of paracetamols or the likes every 4 hours. The best, is to take 2 Ibuprofens and 2 Paracetamols together, it's not overdosing, the hospital advised my husband to do that with his bad headaches, so if nothing else it will get you resting which is what you need to do. Put those legs up too, it all helps.

Helena; combining and varying painkillers is a great help.

I get Tylex on prescription, and they are paracetamol and codeine; as they make me sleepy I try to keep them for night and use aspirin and ibuprofen at need in the day.

Ireland is very restrictive re OTC meds. So I get big bottles from a friend in the US rather than face a public interrogation in the pharmacy from a child fresh out of school!

Cannot even buy baby aspirin here without a prescription.

At our age we know our bodies and what works for us and what works for us.

NSAIDs - anti inflammatories will help reduce swelling from injury. And cold is better than heat - restricts the blood flow or summat. And keep it elevated.

Helen how are your hand and knees? Is the pain any less....

How about sea salt baths?

Hope you feel better soon Helen x

Hi

The swelling has gone down a bit but the thumb is still very stiff & painful. Ive been getting shooting pains in the thumb & forefinger all day today . I try to keep off painkillers & anti inflammatories are a no/no as they both upset my IBS.

No i didnt go to hospital - thats complicated. My mother keeps telling people theres nothing wrong with me says ive staved my thumb. Well my brother is proof, he saw it & still talks with awe about how swollen my hand was. I did mention going to the doctor but that threw my mother into a panic situation so it was better to leave it. Shes disgruntled we are not getting out & about - i really couldn't lift the wheelchair with my hand & certain movements with my left arm between shoulder & elbow are excessively painful. I have new glasses to pick up & cant get as i dont know if i would be comfortable driving that far, maybe one day next week will have a go at attempting to lift the wheelchair

Dogs have been very good. Its easier to let them run loose than road walk ar present altho both very good on leads

Knees are not so swollen & getting there. I guess im lucky i didnt smack my face off the side of the sink - inches away from it.

Two of the house cats escaped on Thurs - reflexes not as quick. I got the older one back but the younger one took himself off. I was absolutely horrifed & convinced i would never see him again. He got out through the dogs legs at the back door. Being housecats they dont realise there are bad people & bad dogs out there Kept going out repeatedly over. & over calling him. When he did appear some two hours later a neighbours cat went for him, i threw some dreamie cat treats which startled both, went over & lifted him. My that really really hurt my hand but i sure wasnt going to let him go, was so relieved i cried into his fur - he didnt appreciate that . I was so lucky i got him back. Since that i triple check everything!

Thanks for the advice folks, appreciate it - just wish it would hurry up & heal, cant grip or use scissors yet. Blinking nuisence!