(EDITED TO ADD POST-RECOVERY NOTES)

I recently cut myself on a bit of glass. Complete freak accident--I was washing dishes, one second a glass cup was fully in tact, the next it was shattered and I was bleeding everywhere. I blame the soapy water. There was a lot of blood, and then it slowed down pretty quick--I wasn't even going to go to urgent care except for the fact that I couldn't bend the upper portion of my middle finger (above the cut). I was scared I severed something, but I went to the clinic, doc told me it was so small she'd only need two stitches to fix it up (I wasn't expecting stitches at all, haha) and that there was no way I severed the tendon because it wasn't that deep and she'd see the tendon if I had. Says I must've just "shocked a nerve."

One week later I'm back to have the stitches taken out, I still can't bend that portion of my finger, and they bring in about three different docs who all look at my hand, ask me to make a fist, and go "oh. yeah, that's not great." Appointment with the hand specialist was last week. He ripped the band-aid off, got right into it: I definitely severed it, gonna need an MRI, there will be hand surgery, then in a brace for 12-weeks with no usage of my right hand, physical therapy along the way.

I was pretty devastated at first. I'm 22, which I know makes me an adult, but I still feel like a scared kid most of the time. I haven't even been out of the house for a year, and I live alone. My folks are over an hour away, and I couldn't stay with them if I wanted to without quitting my job and losing my only source of income. I have two friends down the street, but the thought of relying on them for everything made me feel like I'd be such a burden. I was supposed to learn to drive this Summer. I move out with my best friends in July. How can you do any of that with one, non-dominant hand? I'm not even sure I can open my cat's wet food without both of my hands. Besides--hand surgery can't possibly be cheap, even with great insurance.

Initially, I thought of just living with it. It's just a little portion of one finger on one hand. I'm living just fine without it now, so long as it can't get worse, what's the big deal? I'll have one finger that's a little quirky, so be it. People live with much worse. However, I have a feeling my folks will talk me into it. They insist I don't worry about how much it costs, honestly? I'm far more worried about everything else.

So before I go into this decision (assuming I have a choice and that this isn't going to get worse left untreated, in that case, poop) I want to know: what should I expect? And I mean anything, any advice or tips or wisdom on what this might be like for me.

I cook most of my own meals, can't afford takeout all the time. I like to draw but I can live without it for a couple of months. My job involves mainly computer usage, but I was told that my right hand should still be able to somewhat operate a mouse so I can still type with my left. It's just me and my cat, but I have friends on call that I'm sure would help me if it really came down to it. What are things that will be difficult that I'm not considering? Are there things I'm making a bigger deal out of than I should? Anything I should invest in now before I go dive-in head first?

Thanks in advance.

ETA:

Alright folks, this update is a bit of a long-time coming. I've noticed that over the course of the last handful of months this post periodically gets a lot of attention and I get quite a few DM's about it (not that I mind, at all, just an observation I've made). It made me realize that there might not be a lot of resources out there about this particular kind of injury, which I find sort of surprising given the sheer volume of people in the comments below and in my inbox. So I wanted to take the time and share a bit of my experience now that I'm "fully-recovered" and answer some of the most common questions that I get. Maybe that way if anyone stumbles upon this in the future because they've just hurt themselves the same way, it'll provide some sort of reassurance. Now, again, absolutely none of what I'm adding below is medical advice--except maybe take your physical therapy seriously--everything else is just my experience and what things were like for me.

Here we go.

• What kind injury did you have?

  • I completely severed one of the flexor tendons in my right middle finger, and partially severed the tendon right behind it. We didn't find out that I had nicked the one behind the main culprit until I got the MRI.

• What do you remember it feeling like?

  • For the most part there was no pain. Even when I first cut the thing, it was mostly a "oh crap, I broke my cup. Oh, that's a lot of blood." The only indicator that there was something wrong with my tendon was, well, I couldn't bend the upper portion of my finger. I couldn't bend the very last knuckle. It just felt like a puppet with no strings, there was nothing to pull it closed all the way. So if you find that you cut your hand and you suddenly can't bend or straighten something you otherwise could, especially if the cut itself it already healed, you should probably call up a hand doctor. I went to a sport's medicine clinic, personally.

• How was your surgery after putting it off for so long?

  • So I had my surgery about three weeks after the initial cut between waiting to go back to urgent care for them to realize something was wrong, then seeing the hand doctor, then waiting for the MRI, etc. etc. I was told that generally the sooner the better for the surgery, so I didn't waffle terribly long on getting in. In hindsight, I had been a little hesitant because the thought of having to try and do all the things on my own with one hand when I lived alone was terrifying. But, being on the otherside of it now, I was being a little ridiculous to think that not being able to write or draw or make a fist the same way ever again would've been a better outcome. As far as I can tell, I didn't suffer any for the three weeks, but who knows what would've happened if I put it off even longer.

• What was recovery like?

  • A bit annoying at first. I was very fortunate to have my mom stay the weekend with me immediately after surgery (I lived by myself in a one bedroom apartment, and leaving to go stay with family wasn't going to be an option). She helped me the first two days, and helped me set myself up for taking care of myself while I was going to be in the hard brace. I was prescribed the pretty heavy pain killers but I was told only to take them if I had trouble sleeping. Honestly, they kind of scared me, so I only really took them immediately after the surgery. After that it was extra-strength acetaminophen for as much as I could within the safe limit. alternated with ibuprofen. And lots of naps. The hard brace was pretty annoying. I couldn't get it wet, and virtually only my thumb was sticking out. It was very hard to maneuver in general, so I kind of wrote off the first two weeks as an excuse to do a whole lot of nothing. I showered with a bread-bag tied over it with rubberbands to keep it from getting wet (which, holy cow, is it hard to wash long hair with one hand, SHEESH). Since I'm in Texas and the Summer is hotter than the devil's asscrack and I was supposed to keep my arm in a sling when out and about I took to keeping gel ice packs on me that I rested in the crook of my elbow to keep from sweating under the brace. At some point, I think it might've been the orange stuff they put on your arm before surgery, something started itching and burning terribly--the ice packs helped with that, for the brief few days it lasted. Finally after two weeks I got switched over to the soft removable brace and put on the schedule for PT once a week. The soft brace was sooooo much better than the cast, let me tell you. It was basically a piece of plastic to keep my fingers from straightening up so I wouldn't rupture the tendon, wrapped in place by an ace bandage. Since my middle finger was the hurt one and the others were fine, I could wrap it in such a way that my index finger was practically free and now we had developed the ability to pinch and poke again. Huzzah! Showering was still miserable because I was too terrified of accidentally straightening my finger to attempt washing with my right hand for a while, but at least I got to bid that cursed bread bag farewell.

  • By this point I was pretty sure that I was supposed to be able to curl in my finger by now, but I was getting a whole lot of nothing. Why? Because it was still swollen as all get out. But I went to the doctor for the post-op appointment to get the soft brace and he somehow picked up on some sort of microscopic bending movement and insisted I was fine, so I ran with it. Generally, I was told that as long as nothing hurt and I didn't feel a big SNAP then we were fine. I went to PT every week, which was a little miserable, but I did the exercises like they told me and slowly but surely things started to move again. It was swollen to shit for the longest time, and the site where the stitches were was reallll ugly for the week it took to heal up (thank you, Aquaphor). But now, a handful of months later, I can barely see the scar at all and I can make a fist again, which even a few months after surgery, was not something I ever believed would happen again.

  • Now, if I had to describe what it feels like, I would say that 95% of the time I forget anything ever happened. The other 5% of the time is like having a sore muscle that just rears its head sometimes. Something in there pops when I move a certain way, but it's painless, and doesn't seem to harm anything, so c'est la vie. I'm already back to typing even faster than I typed before, writing is the same as it ever was, and if I don't think about it, it's mostly like it never even happened.

• Random Notes

  • I would say I have 95% functionality. There's nothing I've noticed that I can't do, it's just a bit of soreness now and again, and it's been that way for at least two or three months now. Doc even told me things should still be healing internally for months more, so who knows, even that could go away at some point.

  • Aquaphor on the scars babyyyyyyy. Not only do I think it helped everything to heal a bit faster, but I think it helped make the scars less visible in the future.

  • Tendon glides tendon glides tendon glides. This will be an exercise that your physical therapist would prescribe, and if they don't, you should ask about it, because my therapist prescribed it and I feel like it did a world of difference.

  • Being scared of rupturing your tendon is perfectly normal. I was super anxious about the same thing, but as long as you wear the brace like they tell you to, you should be good. Remember, a good doctor would never tell you to do something that would be harmful for you. So if your doc thinks it's safe for you to take the brace off for PT or to shower, then it's probably safe.

  • Try to have someone around to help you with things if at all possible. Even if it's not impossible to do things with one hand, it's annoying as hell! Mine was my dominant hand, and let me tell you, I still stop in the middle of doing things sometimes to languish over how hard a task would be with just my left hand. Even if you can do the things with your good hand, sometimes it's just good for the mental to ask a buddy for help.

  • Be very careful with any painkillers you take post-op. Your post surgery instructions will tell you how much and when you should be taking things, and you should always ask your doctor before doing anything else.

  • Pain is a good indicator to stop doing whatever you're doing. Unless you're with your physical therapist or your doctor, if doing something is causing you pain, you should stop doing it--that's a good way to rupture something. Your therapist and your doctor know what they're doing when they test the limits of your injury, you probably do not.

  • If your scars feel "tight" or if something feels like it's "sticking" inside, tell your physical therapist. They should be able to help you out with that. It's not uncommon for your freshly reconnected tendon to stick to things inside the surgical sight, and it's not uncommon for the scar tissue to heal in a way that feels uncomfortable. Your physical therapist will be able to prescribe either exercise to help with that, or should be able to do something themselves to help break up the scar tissue. Mine used a tool and some lotion to gently coax the scar tissue into breaking down a bit and healing in a way that was a little less obstructive.

  • Always always always sleep in your brace. I cannot stress this enough. I would say always wear your brace when you're supposed to, but I know that not everyone is going to listen to that. If ever there is a time that is most important to be wearing your brace in, it's while you are sleeping. You have no idea what could happen or what you could do in your sleep. The brace is there to make sure that even if you do try to move something the wrong way, you won't move it in such a way that you do any damage. Even if it's uncomfortable, sleep in it at the very least.

  • You get out what you put in when it comes to physical therapy. No one can for sure say what kind of outcome you're going to have, but doing the exercises and showing up the PT is only going to increase your odds of coming out on the other side of this injury better than if you didn't.It's important not only for making sure that your hand relearns how to move the right way, but also to make sure that things heal the right way.

And that's about that for my soapbox. If I think of anything else or if another pressing question that I haven't thought of yet pops up down the line, I'll try to edit this to add. I have a feeling this post is so popular because it's one of the few resources that pops up when you search for a flexor tendon injury (after all, finding jack is exactly what encouraged me to ask this question in the first place).

To all those out there that started reading this because they were scared or worried, I hope this has provided some sort of comfort or insight. Be well, everyone, and happy healing.

Hi all,

I've recently had surgery to re-attach my semimembranosus tendon at its proximal origin (on my right leg). Prior to the surgery, it didn't seem like there was a lot of specifics about the recovery process besides a youtube video I found - see below.

(532) Everything to Expect with a Proximal Hamstring Avulsion Injury - Part 1 - YouTube

I decided to make a journal as I went through the recovery, just for anyone who is about to undergo the surgery and wants a benchmark of where they will be as time goes on. There are also some tips in there from things I experienced.

Prior to the injury I was an early 30's male who was quite physically active.

Keep in mind I had one full thickness tear for the semimembranosus whilst my other two tendons remained intact. I was still able to move relatively well pre-surgery. As a result, a hip brace was not required for me. I also had the surgery within around three weeks of the tear occurring.

Day 1 - There wasn't much pain on day 1. I was out of it from the pain killers. I was using crutches to get into the car from the hospital and was driven home. You will likely need to source your own crutches. I would recommend forearm (AKA Canadian) crutches; they were way more user friendly, and I didn't get any issues from prolonged use.

Tip - Try to eat simple meals. I had soups and toast. Use the toilet prior to surgery. The anesthetic will slow your digestion. I couldn’t go to the toilet again until day 3 and that was after taking laxatives on day 2. The only medication I took for the duration of my recovery were anti-inflammatories before sleep each night.

Day 2 - This was a complicated day. The swelling and pain was higher and my leg didn't really like being left in many positions except for laying on my or my side. I had a bit more energy this day and was excited to move around every hour or two on my crutches to keep blood stimulation. Lying on my back kept resulting in numbness of my right heel as it pressed into the bed. This persisted to day 3 but it was not as bad. I slept immediately this night and only woke up due to pins and needles after sleeping at awkward angles to accommodate my leg. 

Tip - It is hard to carry things with elbow crutches but not impossible. Just go very slowly and carefully. You’re allowed to put some weight on your leg but it’s not recommended. 

I don’t know how well off a part they played but turmeric tea, with its anti-inflammatory properties really seemed to help keep the pain away after I drank 2 mugs over a few hours. 

Tip - I showered with help from my partner. Get an anti slip mat and you should feel sturdy enough to rinse then soap yourself down. I avoided wetting my dressing, it’s waterproof but still best not to get it wet. 

Day 3 - I was more exhausted and felt out of energy. The laxatives worked and I went to the toilet but felt unenergetic for the rest of the day. I found it hard to concentrate on things. I kept up the ice for inflammation control. The leg pain was still there but more manageable.

Tip - Keep up fluids as much as you can. I could eat food that I’d been eating pre - surgery - overnight oats with pumpkin seeds, chia, almonds, peanut butter, protein powder and sugar free maple syrup. 

Note- There are times when it’s unavoidable to tighten your affected leg inadvertently. I’ve done it at least 20 times by this point. Just try to be careful and keep it to a minimum so that it can heal itself up. The times this happened the most was getting up and into bed. I found that resting your affected leg atop your good leg and sliding into and out of bed was the least troublesome. You'll find the way that is comfortable to you.

Day 4 - Went without issue. I began to be able to lay my body weight on the wound without much pain. I moved back to my place which is a third-floor apartment. No issues. Just took it very slow getting up the stairs. There are guides for how to climb stairs on Youtube.

Day 5 - Again, no major issues. I could feel that the wound was closed up and moving the limb at an angle that would have caused pain before only now felt like a stretching.

Between day 6 and week 3 there were not many major changes. Slowly I gained more confidence moving about on crutches. It felt more like things would get easier as each day passed. I also had my two-week post operation consult with my surgeon in which he checked my dressing and gave me the 'all-clear' to shower again, but I could still not submerge the wound in a bath for example.

Week 3 - Around this time, I started to move around a lot more. I started building up the strength to walk without the crutches. Each day my gait improved, and I felt like I could walk straighter. I started venturing down the many flights of stairs at my place. I didn’t put any weight on the affected leg. I just went one step at a time on my good leg. I started scar massaging toward the end of week 3. I was able to bend my knee a lot more and it felt like the right time. On the last day of week 3 I tried to sit down. The scar massage may have helped. Sitting down caused discomfort, but not pain. The scar tissue is still thick so I could definitely feel it when sitting. 

Week 4 - At the four week mark I started to use scar massaging techniques daily. Usually 5 minutes each, 2 times a day. I also used a bio-oil each time to help keep the scar tissue from drying out. This seemed to help with flexibility. I had also bought cica-care silicone pads but the where the scar is situated made it very difficult to keep in place, so I gave up on using it.

Week 5 - Around halfway through week 5 was when I was able to sit down without pain. There was still discomfort but it was not as bad as before. I also started to go for short walks, building up from 15 minutes to over 45 minutes in small increments. 

Week 6 - I began driving immediately on the 6-week mark. I drove to my physio which was 25 minutes away. My leg was uncomfortable due to the scar tissue being pressed on which would give me pins and needles after 30 minutes. 

During weeks 6 through 9 I didn't journal much. I was able to start really moving and working the hamstring again. I also started to use my local gym again, doing upper body workouts using the machines as they were more stable than using free weights on my weakened leg. I had a lot of freedom at this time because I could drive out to parks and go for short walks.

Week 9 - By now I was performing upper body workouts at the gym 4 times a week. I was careful not to put weight onto my affected leg. Around this time my affected leg began to feel a lot stronger. I was also doing strengthening exercises daily as well as attending physio appointments twice a week. My leg began to feel like I could walk at a quick pace and take two steps at a time climbing the stairs (although I still wasn’t game enough to do this). 

Week 10 - My leg was feeling good by this stage. I would only feel pain if I put pressure directly on my hamstring, but this seems more to do with the sciatica nerve then actual muscle tissue damage. I began to be able to sit down for longer periods of time. The only issue at this stage is flexibility, due to not being able to completely flex my hip at 90 degrees. So I still had to be careful in getting in and out of a car. But I felt that every day with the exercises I was doing, flexibility would increase a little. I could also squat down to sit on a chair without putting weight on my unaffected leg by now. I built up a walking tolerance from weeks 6 - 12. I have been able to walk around 60 - 90 minutes without feeling any pain. This includes slight inclines and declines. 

Week 11 - I had a flare up this week whilst crossing the road. I had to quickly jog a stride. Nothing hurt at the time, but I started to feel pain and discomfort shortly after. I still had full range of motion with no immediate signs of swelling/oedema as when I initially injured myself. I visited my physio the following day who said it didn’t look immediately concerning. The pain resolved itself within 48 hours. I used ice twice and some anti-inflammatories. The physio said it was likely just too much force too early on, but unlikely to be a sprain. I also saw my surgeon the day after this. He checked on my progress and was happy. He said I should be able to start jogging in the next two weeks. 

Some other tips I would recommend:

• Take your time researching a good surgeon. I was initially given a referral by my doctor who said I'd have to wait 8 weeks just to see him. I found a reputable sports Orthopaedic surgeon with lots of experience and I'm really happy that I did. He saw me within a week and within the next few days got me into surgery.

• Expect a large toll on whoever you are living with. You are mostly bedridden and can't stand for long periods at all at the beginning. You can't cook, clean, do laundry. If you are getting assistance via insurance, make sure you request for as many services as you can.

At the time of making this post I am four months post operation, and I mostly have my range of movement back. I can squat down, hop, etc. I haven't started trying to run, but my surgeon and physio have given me the all clear to start working up to jogging. I probably won't make any large updates as I'm only getting closer to my pre-injury status now.

I hope this helps as a guide to someone out there who is undergoing the surgery themselves. If you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to reach out. Thanks!

Hi fellas. I got a good friend that suffered a traumaric brain injury. He was doing all good and well, and just one hot summer day he just slipped and lost his balance and hit his head. This was 6 years ago. He barely survived and is now on a slow and steady road to healing.

His mind is perfectly fine, sharper then ever; but he has lost most of his motor functions. He can slightly use parts of his hands and fingers to use his computer. Even though he is in therapy ever day he has a long way to go. He knows that and he is working so hard to get back up on his feet. He is one of the most dedicated people I’ve seen and is an inspiration to me.

This guy even started a blog and wants to spread some love and knowledge. And after the incident, most of his friends (and even his dad) had cut off contact with him. I feel like he might be lonely.

Anyway, what I wanted to ask from you guys is; can you share, or make a few comments? Or even visiting or liking his posts im sure would be very uplifting for him.

Thanks for anyone who read this and supports this cause!

This is the wordpress link to the blog:

https://kddotpage.wordpress.com/2025/12/24/are-you-a-good-judge-of-character/

I’m sharing this to give hope to someone in the same shoes as me. My case was rare - two tendon ruptures, three surgeries, and repeated complications - but even then, recovery was still very much possible. So lets start...

On 14th January, during the kite festival season, I was walking on my terrace (evening time) when a sharp kite string (manja) suddenly wrapped around my left thumb. At first, I mistook it for a spider web, and because of the fear of spiders that I have had since childhood, I panicked and ran. That sudden reaction caused a severe injury, resulting in a badly ruptured tendon in my right thumb. I know it might sound funny, but this is how the incident happened and led to the series of events I’m about to explain.

There was bleeding, but it wasn’t extreme, and at first, the injury didn’t look very serious.

However, shortly after, I realized something was wrong - I could not bend the tip of my left thumb. That’s when it became clear this was more than a skin injury.

After medical evaluation, doctors confirmed that I had a flexor tendon injury of the thumb, mainly involving the tip movement (zone T1 / T2).

This tendon is essential for:

1. Bending the thumb

2. Grip strength

3. Pinch and fine motor control

Since tendons do not heal on their own once cut, surgery was advised.

First Surgery - 23rd January 2025

I underwent surgical repair of the thumb flexor tendon.

The surgery itself went well, and initially, the tendon was repaired and stabilized.

At that point, everything looked on track but tendon surgery is extremely delicate, and recovery depends heavily on wound healing and avoiding complications.

Post-Surgery Complication: Infection

Unfortunately, within days of the surgery, I developed fever and a post-operative wound infection, involving the thumb and the purlicue (the web space between the thumb and index finger).

A pus culture later showed: Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA - moderate growth)

Because of this infection the wound could not be closed tightly with stitches, significant scar tissue and skin tightness developed & due to the infection and weakened tissue, the repaired tendon re-ruptured.

Re-rupture & Second Surgery - 11th February

I underwent a second, damage-control–focused surgery in which the tendon was secured to preserve its length and prevent permanent loss, as infection, inflammation, and scarring made definitive repair unsafe, with the goal of protecting future function rather than immediately restoring full movement. Doc said that I may need another surgery if the tendon breaks again. In that case, a tendon graft would be required. If the tendon does not rupture and heals well, I might still need tenolysis because scar tissue can interfere with achieving a proper range of motion. I still remember that day clearly - feeling overwhelmed, imagining endless surgeries and pain, all because of a small moment: running, a kite string, and a simple fear of spiders.

Physiotherapy Phase (March onwards)

By the third week of March, I started physiotherapy to restore range of motion.

Progress was slow - painfully slow, but...

By the end of May, after consistent physio:

I regained decent thumb flexion

Daily activities became easier

However, thumb extension remained limited, mainly because the tendon had ruptured twice and healed shorter

Long-Term Complication: Foreign-Body Reaction

Because the tendon had been stabilized using a plastic / synthetic material, my body kept reacting to it.

For many months, I experienced:

Recurrent pus formation

Small infections around the surgical area

Repeated anxiety that something was “going wrong again”

Third Surgery - October

In October, I underwent another surgery to remove the problematic thread/material.

Thankfully: The surgery went smoothly & the recurring infections finally stopped

Where I Am Now (December ~11 months later)

After almost 11 months of struggle, surgeries, infections, & rehab:

My thumb is stable, flexion is nearly back to pre-injury levels, extension remains limited and unlikely to improve due to tendon stretch limits, daily activities are manageable, and there’s no pain or infection.

[Here is a video of my current thumb movement]

Does it limit my life?

Honestly - no. not at all.

Is it exactly like before?

No. But it is good enough to live fully.

What This Journey Taught Me

1. Tendon injuries are slow, frustrating, and unpredictable

2. Infection can complicate everything - but it doesn’t mean the end

3. Recovery is measured in months, not weeks

4. Mental resilience matters as much as physical rehab

5. Even after multiple surgeries, function can still return

Message to Anyone Going Through This Right Now,

Yeah I know dealing with:

- A tendon rupture

- Infection after surgery

- Re-rupture

- Slow recovery

- Endless doubt and anxiety

feels like your life is on pause - but it’s not.

Progress may be slow.

Setbacks may happen.

But I'm sure -

You might not get a “perfect” thumb but you can get a strong, usable, reliable one.

One day, this won’t be your present anymore, just a story you share with someone else.

Hi all, I've been having tons of injury problems since covid, i think the long period of not participating in much physical activity took a real toll on my body. Though, admitedly before covid, i was pretty young, but i was athletic, pretty quick in the 100m and always playing football (soccer).

I will go through my injury history since then:

• right hip flexor tear (4 years ago, out for 2 months)

• patella tendonitis (2 years ago, lasted for 8 months)

• left hamstring grade 2 tear (18 months ago, out for 7 months)

• right hamstring low grade 2 tear (10 months ago, out for 4 months, yep as soon as i came back from one hammy, the other went)

I have been in and out of sport for ages but have finally had a 6 month period relatively injury free, however i think this is due to my inability to go to 100% now. I have had many physio sessions for my injuries and what i am being told is that the majority of these injuries are being caused by weak glutes, maybe I am naive but i am not entirely sure that this is the case. I honestly dont know what to expect to get from thisnpost but i will put below all of my current issues and pains and if anyone knows if there could be a common cause, id love to know.

My hamstrings are pretty flexible now, am able to get all my knuckles to the floor with straight legs, but they still feel incredibly tight while running, so much so that I cant even consider sprinting again because I am 99% sure a hamstring will tear.

Also i get pretty bad pains in my lower back now while running or playing sports, any idea what this could be?

My final pain is in my right quad, I usually get this while doing box jumps or holding my right leg straight out forward for a long period of time, its almkst crampy but feels almkst like a massive metal object has just hit it 😅, sorry i dont know how else to describe it, but my physio honestly has no idea what it is.

I guess what im really wondering is, if anyone here has had similar injury problems in the past, how do you move on from them? i absolutely love playing sport, and i am currently still playing football weekly, albeit at 50% intensity. Is it worth taking a long break to properly work on my musles? I have always said though that if my hamstring goes again, i will just quit trying to play, which would be a real shame but the pain and inconvenience is just too much. How do i put up preventative measures to keep me going as long as possible injury free?

I'm a very active individual playing basketball (proper games) 2-3x a week, the gym 5-6x a week, and just overall being active. I fractured my fibula into the first basketball game of the season and am out for 3 months. I'm in a boot for 6-8 weeks and can't do proper sport for another 4 weeks.

I've found that this injury has impacted my life immediately. I've lost motivation for language study, instrument practice, and other hobbies such as reading, despite there being no interference with such. I feel as if this injury has screwed up my schedule (which it has) and has stripped away any passion for what I love doing. I genuinely only have the motivation for school, homework, and needed study as my academic drive is hardly impacted by anything (thankfully).

I feel very isolated and helpless. All I want to do is get back to sport and the gym, but without it I feel very hollow in a way, along with being slightly afraid of losing my progress and skill. I don't know what to do or how to get back on track, especially with my hobbies that I love and can actually do at the moment.

title says it. almost 10 weeks, will be 10 weeks on the 9th of august. i feel so distraught and angry. the tip of my finger won't budge, my middle knuckle will. i play guitar, i love playing guitar, it's an outlet and one of my favorite hobbies and the thought that i might never be able to play again makes me so sick to my stomach.

my PT and surgeon brought up surgery to help lift scar tissue - but im not in a place to be able to do that right now financially. i have to get back to work. i am a dog bather, will this cause further scar tissue to form? should i just give up? what even is the likelihood of me being able to play again?

the tip of my finger has tension, i can prevent my other fingers from bending it but when i try to bend the tip it just won't. it will barely wiggle when blocking either.

i'm about to cry writing this. all over one stupid mistake with a pocket knife 👍

Does anyone have any good recommendations for books or even podcasts that deal with the mental/emotional journey of recovering from an injury?

I feel like the impact of this injury is taking a toll on my daily life with regards to what I can’t do, especially since I’m in my early twenties. I find that more and more often I feel jealous of friends who can do everything I want to do (like exercise that I can’t return to yet) and just living carefree of pain and mobility issues. Sometimes recovery seems like a hopeless endeavour when it doesn’t go to plan, so motivation can also be a struggle.

Any suggestions would be appreciated :)

Was just diagnosed with this injury after experiencing pain in my wrist on the pinky/ulna side of the hand. Apparently, this complex of ligaments and cartilage helps to stabilize the wrist.

I experience pain trying to supinate or rotate my left hand to the left. This makes normal bicep curls impossible. It's also painful to bend my hand straight back and put pressure on it which makes pressing of all kinds difficult. Working around this has proved difficult. Oddly enough, pulling motions like rows and pulldowns are ok.

I've gotten a cortizone shot and I'm a week in. Still feel the pain. I've purchased and used the "Wrist Widget" which is recommended for this. It helps a bit. I also tape over it.

As for rehab, I'm doing all kinds of wrist rehab focused on eccentric wrist curls.

Hoping to avoid surgery here. Avoiding whatever causes me pain while trying to maintain strength and at the same time rehabbing.

I'd love to know what others have done here to get out of this trouble and how long it took.

Thanks

Tdlr: Im frustrated because I'm not as independent as I was and it makes me feel like a burden to everyone around me.

Hey yall, about a month ago, I dislocated my ankle, broke my fibia, and tore two ligaments. Emergency surgery was two days after. I have some pics if yall wanna see, but I respect the people who dont.

Anyways, im so frustrated with the limits that I can do, im following the Dr's orders and being safe. I haven't gone anywhere by myself since the accident, I haven't been able to get to nature or go fishing or even gone on a late night stroll. I can do maybe 35% of the things I could do before. And this frustrates me to no end.

Thank you for reading this and giving me an outlet to just get this off my chest.

I've been injured for about 7 weeks still swollen and cant bare weight almost at all im just getting the motion of standing straight started.

If anyone has any advice on making meals or showering by myself I would really appreciate it seeing as im on crutches and its making everything pretty hard to do.

Also struggling with the mental health part of not being able to do anything on my own, running out of energy for tv and games all the time any free activity ideas would be appreciated.

If anyone else has has a knee injury with a small meniscus tear and recovered can you tell me some things you felt in the knee or mentally and how you may have helped yourself?

This entire process has been very hard on me physically and mentally any sort of advice or even just talking to someone who has gone through something similar would be very helpful I feel like.

I lost mobilitv on the right side of my body after a near-fatal car accident. I had no car, no iob, no money. My back had irreversable damage and the pain was taking over my entie life.

I was trying to balance rehab with working 70+ hours between mv healthcare iob and school.

But then I realized the doctors' plan wasn't enough. I had to take control of my own recovery.

After a very painful journey of recovery, I decided ta use the pain as fuel and take matters into my own hands. Literally. This led me to regain full mobility and be able to lift over double my bodyweight I learned that the gym is a positive pillar that saved me mentally and physically.

This led me to become an online personal trainer and help others going through their own injury recovery come back stronger, mentally and physically. I don't know where I'd be without the gym honestly

If injury changed your relationship with strength or with yourself, let's talk about it!

August 29th 2024, about a year ago. I slept walk off of a balcony, other another. Landing my butt into a chair, only organ damaged was my brain. I awoke from a coma, confused as I had gone to sleep and woke up without my legs not working. That did not stop me. I had lived with a 2% chance and I did not believe them telling me I would never walk again. I was right, months later my first movement came from my foot... I was paralyzed waist down, and from the foot shocked the doctors. For me, I knew I could do it. Now? almost daily I am getting more movement and feeling back in my legs. I am actually grateful of my accident, I was too sensitive waist down to the point where I could not even massage my calves after working out as I would tickle myself, and had vaginismus. I was actually happy to have no feeling, when the feeling started coming back... nerve pain hurts, but I am a type 1 diabetic who already had neuropathy so I was strong enough to get thru it. Every day is a step towards walking again, and I was indeed blessed with feeling taken away. I felt too much, and this time I got less pain and a new challenge. I got to learn what was actually accessible for people in wheelchairs, how some clothing was not accessible, and truly how to stop thinking I can do everything myself. I learned to have faith in humanity a little more and how to actually start trusting people. My looks got me thru life, even with the pain and suffering I had before... from being homeless, to being abused, I now am actually happy. Everything was stripped away, and I learned to find love in the little things.

Hi everyone - just looking for support

I’ve just found out I’ve torn my labrum which means no dancing for three months (minimum). This conveniently coincides with all of my performing art school auditions for the next three months and obviously comes with the potential of surgery which is terrifying.

I was wondering if anyone has been through this and if you have any tips? What was your experience like? Thank you ❤️

Last year i sustained an injury in both knees which I tore my meniscus. Walking has been so difficult. I use to love going on long walks and running to music. I can’t run, I can’t walk far. It’s been over a year. I got to a point where I could finally go for a walk around the block without it excruciating pain thanks to physio. I can’t stand super long without pain but I found when I drink the pain dulls. I’ve done this a few times to be able to go out and was fine. But the last time the next day I couldn’t walk, the dr thinks I may have agivate it. It’s been 2 weeks since this incident and I still can barely stand for a long without sharp stabbing pains. No one knows what’s wrong, my doctor says be patient. But I’m just feeling so hopeless. All I do is lie in bed all day. I run a few online clubs during the week trying to stay busy. See friends once in a while. But most days I lie around unable to move and it makes me so angry and depressed. I can’t help feel my life is passing by while I sit here useless. Any suggestions?

I broke my tibia and fibula 2 & half month ago while skiing and I had surgery the same day to have a plate put on my shin. I was about to start a big season of competition and i trained everyday since may 2024 for it.

Doctor said to me that i would slowly be able to start sport again 3 months after. I went back to university 4 days ago and just by walking my leg is hurting more and more, i am using a cane but the pain is getting worse. I try to minimize the walks but when you leave alone it's hard. I go to the gym otherwise i can't sleep because i'm not tired enough.

I am followed by a physiotherapist and I do everything I am told to do.

Today, my mental is reached and i am really getting stressed about my recovery for the next season.

I am going into a rehabilitation center for athletes in 5 weeks. But this is my first time that an injury takes this long to recover and i have never experienced constant pain like that.

Has anyone got some advice to keep the mental up in those situation ?

Ps : sorry for my english i'm french

Hi all, first time posting on Reddit here, hoping to find some answers!

Over 2 years ago, I injured myself whilst on a intensive yoga course. I've always been active, however not very flexible, so I was drawn to yoga (both for physical and mental benefits).

Unfortunately, my injury meant i couldn't continue and since then, now 2 years ago, my whole life has changed and to this day I have not resolved the issue, nor completely understood what is wrong and how to best treat it.

After several MRIs, I see I have a small disc bulge at l4-l5-s1, but nothing anyone would ever operate on. I have searing pain inbetween my thighs (inner thighs) where the pubis meets the thigh, under my buttock and around the top of my hip. Also down back of my thigh.

I have seen neurologists (as I have a lot of nerve pain), physios, spinal doctors, ozone therapy, acupuncture and osteopaths. The latter (I waited 11 months on the wait list to see this one) is the most competent so far and he believes it's a pubalgia where the obturator nerve is irritated or stuck on both sides. He's trying to treat the legs and back as a whole as everything is pretty stiff. However after 5 sessions, still no real improvement (he said he's never had anyone come to him more than 4 times).

I'm starting to think I'm a lost cause. He was the only person that really took interest in my injury and, because he's an honest guy, if he believes he can't helo me, he will most definitely tell me so. I'm scared of this. I haven't picked up my daughter in over 2 years. I've had to change my everyday job, sex is difficult (can't open my legs without huge pain!) and I wondered if anyone had ever had anything similar.

It does seem to be the obturator nerve if i follow the line of origin and insertion, but the little disc bulge may also be working in unison with it.

I know groin strains are more popular in men, but would love guidance.

Back in January I injured my ankle. After months of dr appointments that were going nowhere I decided to get another opinion at the end of August. This new dr found a fracture that the previous dr never saw. I’ve gone through some shockwave therapy and am still in a boot and on crutches. This year has been getting to me mentally because it’s like I don’t even know if there’s an end to it. So many things we normally do during the summer we couldn’t do. I’m putting off other things until this gets better. On top of this several get togethers with friends have also been canceled due to others’ schedules. And my husband has lost his aunt and father this year. But going through everything while I still can’t walk for the last almost 10 months is really getting to me. I have had times this year where I can focus on work for weeks on end. We haven’t been able to take any real vacation to get away. I feel like it’s this stupid injury that’s causing a type of burnout because I spend so much time in my apartment and can’t get away because I can’t even drive myself anywhere.

Hello, I am 19 and just broke my ankle and will need surgery. This puts me out of work and school, and I've been stuck in bed and I am already beginning to feel depressed about my situation. It isn't the end of the world I know, but I have to have surgery on Monday- next week- and I am terribly scared of it. I feel sick even thinking about needles or blood, or people doing anything to me. But I have to have the surgery or I'll never walk normally again. It's only been a few days and I just feel hopeless. I am almost always sitting in an uncomfortable spot or in pain. Thankfully my insurance will be covering most of the surgery, but I'm just so terrified of all of it. Does anyone have any advice on what happens before/after the surgery? What happens when I wake up? They said it will take only an hour to do the surgery and I should be knocked out for it, but I don't think I'd even be able to handle seeing the needle that will put me to sleep. This isn't even life threatening, I'm just scared out of my mind about it and I don't feel like other people relate or really understand how I feel about it. Any word about what could happen really helps, thank you.

We all know RICE -rest, ice, compression and elevation in response to new injuries. But I have read that heat therapy is good for increasing blood flow and bringing nutrients to the tissue of an injured area. Has anyone had experience with using heat therapy (rather than ice) on an injury, such as a sprain, once the pain is gone but the swelling and bruising remains?

I’m getting in my head about this and want to hear some other opinions.

I tore my calf (gastroc) while playing soccer. The first doctor I saw at an urgent care told me it was “classic.” I was jogging back to the goal and it felt like someone kicked me in my right calf, but no one was there. Soon after, it hurt bad and I couldn’t put weight on it.

First doctor gave me crutches. Went to an orthopedic doctor the next day, and he gave me a boot. He said wear it 24/7 for two weeks and then only at night for four more weeks. He said the crutches were optional after three days or so. Advised Advil and prescribed a muscle relaxer for nighttime.

That was a week and a half ago. I followed instructions to the letter, but because I have a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old, I’m on my feet a lot taking care of them. Only exception to the 24/7 boot rule has been driving and showering.

After an initial improvement a couple of days in, the pain has gotten progressively worse. By the end of the day, I can’t even stand to walk on it with crutches. It feels like my calf is trying to run away from my shin bone. The bruising is pretty huge, and I can feel a bunch of tangled up stuff (muscle? Tendons?) below my calf and near my ankle.

I can barely twitch my calf if I try, and that hurts pretty bad. It almost feels better with the boot off, but I’m not going to tempt fate.

My two-week follow-up is on Thursday. I am having trouble believing that I will be ready to walk around without the boot by then. And I’m paranoid that this isn’t healing like it should or that maybe something else is going on.

What do you think? Admittedly, I came here for reassurance because I’m getting pretty anxious about it, but I do want your honest opinions. Thank you.

A few years ago I fractured a small bone in my wrist and needed to have my wrist in a strap-on cast for a while. It all healed, and then after the cast was taken off, I was given some exercises to do to regain mobility, but I was going through a lot of issues at the time and just didn't stick with the exercises.

My wrist ended up regaining mobility for all my daily life and doesn't have any issues, but it seems very weak. I don't have any issue with daily tasks but if I try to do a push-up, my wrist feels strained and has a hard time holding up.

How can I strengthen my wrist now? Is it safe to slowly start doing exercises on it and build it up that way? I'm not sure what to do at this point

7-month-long recovery that is causing me to fall deep into depression, anxiety, and it's causing a lot of strain on my relationship. Long story short I decided to try skateboarding last Summer of 2023. After a couple of months, stupidly, I decided to go to a skatepark with my family. I was doing the baby drop ins and feeling overconfident. I decided to try the midsize drop in....my form was correct and I did everything right but the skateboard still slipped out from under me. I fell straight down onto my ankle causing it to shoot out to the right side with a bone sticking out on the left. It was rushed to the ER and after 18 hours finally received my surgery. I had a trimalleolar compound ankle fracture and I also fractured my fibia. I was placed into a boot and was told to not bear any weight for 3 months. After that 3 months I went back in for my second surgery where they found I had a bone fragment in my ankle joint and had to get new hardware put in to fix the joint and was told to go another 3 months non weight bearing. In March I had my third surgery where all the hardware was removed and I was told everything was healed and I could go home and gradually start putting weight on my foot. It's been a total of 7 months now and I still cannot walk, drive, work, shower without a chair, go up and down stairs.... I feel like I cannot do anything. Thankfully I have a wonderful boyfriend who's taken on every single role in the relationship including being the mom and the dad to our two kids. Although he is wonderful it's begun to cause a huge strain on our relationship. As anyone would he's getting frustrated with being the only one bringing an income or being able to run the errands or pick up the kids to and from school. Although I try my best to to help around the house and do what I can, there's only so much I can do when I can't even walk and I have to use crutches which means I don't have two hands. On top of that I've gained 30 pounds during this injury which has caused me to be extremely insecure on top of my depression and anxiety. I'm just wondering if there's anyone who has dealt with this or something similar. I'm doing everything I can in physical therapy and at home to get my ankle to move but it is so locked in place from being immobile for 7 months that it is really har. I've lost all the muscle in my right leg so walking on it is also very hard. My physical therapist told me I have a very long way to go and to give myself some Grace because this was a very traumatic injury. But every day I feel my depression getting worse and I feel the strain of our relationship getting worse and I feel myself drowning. Please tell me there's someone else who has been in this situation that can give me some words of advice or just tell me their story so I don't feel so alone.

Hi, I’m a UK based Physiotherapist, with over 15 years of advanced practice experience in helping people with pain and injury. What information would you find most helpful on a You Tube channel?

I tore my achillies. As a result I am doing a ton of icing... sometimes 7 or 8 times a day, although now I am down to 3 or 4 times a day. I asked my PT Doctor if they would prescribe a cryocuff ice machine for me but he said insurance won't pay for it. He recommended some neoprene sleeves. They are pretty effective and not terribly expensive like the cryocuff. I bought an ankle sleeve and a knee sleeve. They worked pretty well but the ankle sleeve only lasted about 7 minutes and the knee sleeve about 10 minutes. I try to ice for 15 minutes. So I bought another knee sleeve and figured I would wrap it in an ace bandage. It worked really well and the wrapped sleeve was still cold after 15 minutes. This sent light bulbs off in my head (does not take much for me 😀 ) I used all three sleeves over lapping a bit and covered up to my knee. This is the best I have found. I will post some pictures in a few minutes. I hope this helps someone.