Radial Head Fracture Questions
On St Paddy's day (9 days ago), I twisted my ankle on the top of some stairs at my home, went ass over tea kettle and cushioned my fall with an outstretched right arm - my dominant arm. I knew immediately upon the impact that I fucked it up. The sheer force of the impact traveled up my arm and created a radial head fracture at the elbow. Pissed off and in excruciating pain, I went to urgent care as it was a Sunday to soberly join all the lucky fucked up revelers who at least had a full morning of green beer and Jameson before they fell off a street sign with proper alcoholic anesthesia. Urgent care confirmed fracture, put me in a fiberglass splint and a sling and told me to see an Ortho. Spent three days chewing Vics that did fuckall for the pain and saw the Ortho. Said it is actually better that I slowly move the arm and suggested a neoprene brace and physical therapy.
Stats:
- 40 years old
- 183 lbs
- 6'2''
- Pimp hand - RT
- Hobbies - sink peeing, wage garnishment
Questions:
(1) Should I actually do physical therapy or should I just move the thing around myself? My absolute goal is to have full use of my arm as soon as possible so I am guessing the answer to this is yes, but I have never had therapy for an injury and dont know if I need to carve out all that time to have some guy/gal manipulate my arm for me.
(2) For about a year prior to the fracture, I had been back to working out regularly with moderate weight lifting being a large component. I was finally feeling and looking back in fighting shape and now I can't lift anymore. It was really helping my mental health and I want to get back into it as soon as possible. In the meantime, I will continue to run and work muscle groups that don't require my right arm, but I am curious if I should continue to lift moderate weights on my left side (back, shoulders, tris, bis, chest) or if I should let the both sides atrophy a bit during this period for symmetry and physiological reasons?
(3) Anyone share anecdotes on the timeline you underwent for (a) general pain to subside/ability to out stretch arm fully, (b) timeline for somewhat normal usage, and (c) timeline for full usage/stress under moderate/heavy weights?
Any other advice? I'm fucking bummed as I had a dad/daughter ski trip planned that I had to cancel, I can't hit the gym as I was before and that's fucking with my head, and the recent Seattle sun was wasted without at least a few golf days.
Thanks all.