NOT VERY HUMERUS - Physio Sam's recovery from 2 broken arms, CLASSES BACK SOON!
Sam Returns: My rehab journey. As a physio I can talk the talk but now it’s time to walk the walk
You may have heard that I have been out of action for the past month due to injury. I had a heavy crash on my bicycle which resulted in multiple fractures. I flew over the handlebars crashing into a pole and took the impact on my hands, thankfully my helmet protected my head.
I was admitted into St. Vincent’s’ Hospital with confirmation I’d fractured my Left and Right Radial Head as well as my Right Scaphoid. In everyday language the radial head is the end of the bone (the radius) on the outside of the forearm at the bottom of the elbow joint and the scaphoid is one of the tiny bones in the wrist at the base of the thumb.
What next???
The undisplaced fracture at the left elbow is tiny, less than 0.5mm and is almost invisible to the naked eye.
The management for an injury like this is easy.
1. Get moving ASAP: getting back to full range of motion at the affected joint is the crucial first step to good short and long-term outcomes. Move as pain will allow, listen to your body but don’t be afraid to push a little into discomfort!
2. Weight-bearing: (that is lifting weight or leaning on the elbow) should be avoided in the first 0-2 weeks and then gradually re-introduced as pain permits. So, thankfully this got me out of washing the dishes and taking the bins out! Alas from 2-4 weeks I got back into lifting regular everyday things under 5kgs, which included unpacking the dish washer! Now at the 4 week mark I’m starting to progress with lifting heavier weights and if done gradually and sensibly, slowly work towards my pre-injury levels of loading over the next few months
The displaced fracture at the right elbow is nasty. About 50% of the surface at the end of the radius has broken off and has moved more than 5mm away from the rest of the bone.
The management for this one is tricky and ultimately a week after my injury I was in for surgery to open up the joint, reduce the space of displacement and fixate the displaced bone fragment with some metalwork, hence the name of the surgery: Open Reduction Internal Fixation (ORIF).
1. Surgery to put 2 screws into the bone to hold the floating bone fragment in place
2. Sling for 1 week to let the wound scarring heal
3. Move! Get the elbow moving as much as possible within pain limits
4. No heavy lifting over 2kgs for 2 weeks then slowly increase load after 2 weeks
The undisplaced fracture of the tiny right wrist bone (scaphoid).
The management for this one can be tricky and is often complicated by the poor blood supply to the bone which may limit its ability to heal. However, after consultation with the orthopaedic specialist, I decided that conservative management without surgery would be my preferred option. So, I was put in a short arm fibreglass cast for about 6 weeks and after that time an X ray will reveal how the healing has gone, fingers crossed that I get some good healing!
1. Until the cast comes off, there is not much I can do, and thankfully get out of washing the dishes! What I can do is to keep my fingers and elbow moving as much as possible to minimize the muscle loss I’ll inevitably see after being immobilized in a cast for so long!
My take home messages and my learnt experiences from the rehab journey thus far?
1. Don’t stop moving!
2. A positive mindset can change your world (and modulate pain)!
3. The body is a marvelous healing machine!
4. Our public health system is world class but is very complex, I was a patient in 2 different hospitals and seen by many doctors, OTs, physios and nurses. Add on the complex nature of my injuries and I received some conflicting messaging and communication. Understanding this is key, and if your confused with conflicting advice, speak up! You’re the best person to direct your own care
5. The public health system has limited time and resources. If I didn’t know how to manage myself, I would have missed out on some important rehab advice and management strategies. So, seeing a physio will provide you the best and most current advice possible
I hope to be catching up with the SmartMoves community as I get back to work over the next few weeks! If you would like to follow my rehab journey online, please check out Instagram @sam_mullany_physio and @smartmovesphysio for regular vlogs
By Sam Mullany
FREEDOM DAY! The return of our group exercise classes
You’ve probably heard the news, from the Monday after we reach 70% vaccination rates in NSW, (likely to be Monday October 18th ) vaccinated people will see an ease of restrictions for a range of everyday activities. That means we will be allowed to reopen our popular exercise classes!
Under the new regulations for vaccinated peoples, those who are fully vaccinated can get back to indoor exercise and recreation. The 1 per 4m2 rule will apply which for Smart Moves means we can have up to 4 people in our classes. So if you are interested in getting the gang back together or starting anew with some exercise classes in our fun group environment then get in contact with us to schedule a time! Pricing for group classes is $25.00 for 1 session or discounted rates for 5 or 10 class packs
If you are unvaccinated or have only received one dose you won’t be eligible to participate in group exercise classes, however! You will still be allowed to participate in our 1on1 exercise classes and attend physiotherapy consults, basically, nothing changes there.
By Sam Mullany
SEE BELOW FOR OUR TIMETABLE BEGINNING OCTOBER 18
