Tendinitis: When to See the Doctor?

[yourcolorfuladdictio]

So, I’m almost positive I have tendinitis in my wrist. I’ve had it for about for and a half months and it’s been getting increasingly worse. This past week it has gotten to the point that I am in pain doing simple things like going pee!!!

I’ve already adapted my work to give my wrist a break as much as possible but I can’t avoid the occasional need to dump a bag of grain or the daily need to dump buckets (I dump the heavy iced troughs with a good foot push). I haven’t been filling the the 5 gallon buckets as full but I can’t leave them empty when it’s going to be below freezing or the horses won’t have anything to drink.

I’m about a week out from heading down to NC (home), and being able to see my orthopedist (already had orthoscopic knee surgery last year).

So tell me, should I be making time to see a doctor last week, or is it okay to put my wrist off another week and protect it as much as possible? Any suggestions for a brace? I have a Back on Track wrist brace but it’s not particularly supportive.

I’d like to note that I have a lot of joint and muscle pain and damage because most of my joints are hyper mobile causing weakness and resulting in pain and/or injury.

I’ve been strength training with a personal trainer that uses a lot of body weight rather than weights but my wrist is beginning to make it very hard to exercise at all.

I’d like to note that I’m aware I’m rambling, and should probably have seen a doctor months ago, but could use some sound advice here (or maybe just a kick in the pants). XD

[ReSomething]

Well, you’ve waited THIS long so I’d make an appointment to see your Dr once you get home. As in make the appointment now to be seen within a day or two.

That stiff athletic tape will give you some support but it’s hell to get off. Kmart has it for sure, Wally world maybe.

The reason I say wait now is because you’re likely to need additional treatment and perhaps surgery and if you change areas you’ll just have to repeat all your dr’s appts. Are you icing and using NSAID’s right now on your own?

Use your forearm to hold up the buckets or get a long hose and refill buckets once you’ve hung them in the stalls and use your other hand and wrist more for everything. Use any tools you can find to carry for you, wheelbarrows, the FEL on the tractor, if there’s somebody else around divide the labor so you refill and they hang. You can use your forearms to handle bags of feed once you get them up off the ground, or your open hand instead of forever grasping. If I have feed bags in the PU I use my open hand to skate them to the tailgate and then bear hug them pretty much, but I tend to carry them diagonally as opposed to straight up and down, that way if I just have my two forearms one under the bottom and one under the side they never slip down from my grip - granted my arms can get tired. Takes some thought but I prefer to avoid pain if possible.

Good luck!

[yourcolorfuladdictio]

Thanks so much!

I definitely try and avoid using my wrist most of the time, I’ll definitely be using any of the above tactics I can employ. I will also be making a doctors appointment for when I get home. Hopefully no surgery is needed.

I currently take Tylenol or Advil, or whatever is in the Tylenol bottle lol. I’m a chronic migraine sufferer so I try and avoid large amounts of NSAIDs. Keep your fingers crossed I haven’t done permanent damage!

[Bristol_Bay]

Rest as much as possible, and ice it 3x a day. PT might help with an exercise program that will strengthen all the uninvolved tendons.

It just takes time, and then when you’re healed, mindfulness so you don’t overuse it again.

[yourcolorfuladdictio]

[QUOTE=Bristol Bay;7254818]
Rest as much as possible, and ice it 3x a day. PT might help with an exercise program that will strengthen all the uninvolved tendons.

It just takes time, and then when you’re healed, mindfulness so you don’t overuse it again.[/QUOTE]

Thank you, got a little carried away with work this summer: 7 days a week plus 2 nights a week with personal trainer so I guess a good winter break and some PT with my doctors at home will help quite a bit!

[PletchersMom]

Not sure if someone already posted this but have you tried the back on track products? They work great for tendonitis.

[yourcolorfuladdictio]

I use a back on track brace currently but it doesn’t do much since I can’t totally rest my wrist.

[AliCat518]

I had tendinitis in my rotator cuff. I didn’t see the doctor about it for months. When I finally went, she suggested PT, so I did that for 6 weeks with some relief. I ended up getting it injected and OH MY GOD, I wish I had done that from the beginning. Night and day difference. Easy peasy, zero pain during, pain for one day after, and now it feels 99% better.

[yourcolorfuladdictio]

[QUOTE=AliCat518;7255437]
I had tendinitis in my rotator cuff. I didn’t see the doctor about it for months. When I finally went, she suggested PT, so I did that for 6 weeks with some relief. I ended up getting it injected and OH MY GOD, I wish I had done that from the beginning. Night and day difference. Easy peasy, zero pain during, pain for one day after, and now it feels 99% better.[/QUOTE]

I like the sounds of that! lol

[lubbalu]

I have chronic tendonitis in my knee, because of my hyper mobility, and I have found that the Back on Track braces/sleeves help me with my pain/inflammation. I’m a major procrastinator when it comes to seeing the doctor…took me three months to get my but in there for my knee and six months for my hip! Us horse people…