problem with joints/bones in hand

okay, three weeks ago I was scaling a fence..it was kinda wet outside and this was a privacy fence..one of the 6' wood ones. I then slipped and started to fall..my right hand was wedged in between two planks on the top of the fence when I slipped..then just out of reaction I used my left hand to lift myself up..I was intoxicated and didn't notice it much until the next day. I now sit here three weeks later with reduced functionality in my right hand..if anything's more than like five pounds or so, I cannot grab it and carry it with my right hand, I cannot shake people's hands well, and it hurts like fuck when I do..it hurts once I'm about half fist..any further is pretty damn painful..it hurts to bend my finger at the end and middle..when my finger is straight I can bend it though without too much pain, as long as I don't move it too much..

What should I expect from this long-term? I can look at my hand and see a red irritated spot that has been there for the three weeks since this happened..and I can see a spot on the underside of my hand too..Is my hand broken right there or could it just be sprained or jammed or something? thanks to anyone who speculates for me :thumbsup:

Clear cut take-it-to-the-doctors case Markass. This could be a number of things, and you might need an X-Ray, so go ask a professional.

EDIT: On the other hand, I take my Canadian medical care for granted. Will the doctors visit cost you more than you can afford where you are?

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Originally Posted by Gandalf_The_Grey

Will the doctors visit cost you more than you can afford where you are?

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no insurance..why I didn't go when this first happen, well and also I was thinking that after a few days it would be fine..

is there really much the doctor could do for it?

Well, I'm not really an expert in this field, but I know a few things about nerve and soft-tissue damage from personal experience. Since you lost functionality after a trauma, and it seems you can't fully get the muscle contraction signals in there, I'd be a bit concerned about nerve damage.

But where exactly on your hand does it hurt? Any areas that are tender to press on?

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Originally Posted by Gandalf_The_Grey

Well, I'm not really an expert in this field, but I know a few things about nerve and soft-tissue damage from personal experience. Since you lost functionality after a trauma, and it seems you can't fully get the muscle contraction signals in there, I'd be a bit concerned about nerve damage.

But where exactly on your hand does it hurt? Any areas that are tender to press on?

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when I put my index finger on the top of my third knuckle and my thumb right underneath it..just a small amount of pressure and it's hurting..I don't get pain anywhere on my finger except where it attaches to the joint on my hand...like I said there's a red spot on each side right near the affected area, and that seems to be the sweet spot..

Sounds like you tore a ligament or tendon or perhaps stretched it.....something along that line.

Mark....QUIT TESTING YOUR HAND!! I already know you are doing this...probably every ten minutes or so....stop it young man.

Resting your hand is the answer here.....you can take advil or something to help with the pain but there is a catch to it.....if you feel no pain sometimes you do things with the injured area that you wouldn't do if it DID hurt.....you see what I am saying here?

Those kinds of things take several weeks to heal. ;)

PS....If you broke a bone or something......well we won't go there because it would probably be really swollen.

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Originally Posted by Weedhound

Sounds like you tore a ligament or tendon or perhaps stretched it.....something along that line.

Mark....QUIT TESTING YOUR HAND!! I already know you are doing this...probably every ten minutes or so....stop it young man.

Resting your hand is the answer here.....you can take advil or something to help with the pain but there is a catch to it.....if you feel no pain sometimes you do things with the injured area that you wouldn't do if it DID hurt.....you see what I am saying here?

Those kinds of things take several weeks to heal. ;)

PS....If you broke a bone or something......well we won't go there because it would probably be really swollen.

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ehh..I've been dealing with the pain for three weeks..I can tough it out.."pain is weakness leaving the body.." I live my life by that..I had to, I used to skateboard :D no rest for it though weedhound..gotta work..thankfully though I'm about 85-90% ambidextrous..so I can relive a lot of the work from my right hand at this point..it sucks though..thank you for explaining it a bit to me :thumbsup: and yes, I am ready to go...I can't wait

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Originally Posted by Markass

no insurance..why I didn't go when this first happen, well and also I was thinking that after a few days it would be fine..

is there really much the doctor could do for it?

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Well the Doc could tell you whats wrong with your hand, yeah i'd prolly get an x ray. H.A.G. 1

Four to six weeks for a ligament or tendon to heal (sounds like you tore it) and somewhat longer if you don't rest it as much as you can (that doesn't mean don't use it....just take it easy as much as you can:))

As long as it is not getting worse or swelling etc....you're most likely doing ok.

yeah mate, i do a thing called parour, a quick explanation would be , scalin walls and other obstacles :p , and know that un-serous wrist injuries take ages to heal, but will do eventully, unless its really swollen you shouldnt worry too much.
Basically what weedhound said :D

I hope that you go to a doctor, not the ER, cause it is way over-priced, but I also currently have no medical insurance, so I understand. But also, I am very low pain tolerant, so if something is hurting me, I will go. You could try an urgent care facility, most have X-rays, and the ones around here will let you pay a portion (maybe $50) up front, and then bill you for the rest. My sister was smoking outside one night and when she got up to come in the house she tripped on the porch and broke her foot. She actually went in the house and WENT TO SLEEP. She said it hurt, but it was late and she didn't want to wake anyone up, lol. The next morning my mother made her go to the doctor where she was told it was indeed, broken. That could not have been me. If I broke a foot, I would have screamed loud enough for someone to call me an ambulance, lol. High pain tolerant people are intriguing to me. But get it checked out, you don't want any lasting injury, and I'm sure they can do something for you. And as previously stated, don't keep moving it.

If insurance and a doctor's visit aren't an option, then here's a practical paramedic's best guess: it does indeed sound like a sprain or tendonitis of some kind. The hand has amazingly complex nerve/tendon and muscular structures.

It's true that a doc wouldn't be able to do much other than rule out a break with an X-ray. You could have a fracture of a small bone. But if it's the more likely possibility of a sprain or tendonitis, then remember RICE: rest, ice, compression, elevation. The compression (like with an Ace wrap) and elevation are particularly important if you have any swelling. OTC anti-imflammatories like Advil and Motrin are great for sprains or tendonitis. And use that hand as little as you possibly can for the next few weeks. If you coudl immobilize it in a sling, even better. Both sprains and tendonitis take lots of time to heal. Time and the RICE approach are what anybody trained in practical or orthopaedic medicine would tell you.

thanks everyone...:thumbsup: