Is my arm broken. Do I need an X-Ray.

[frankfranks]

I took a bad spill off the bicycle. I got up and swore a lot and sat to take 15 minutes to asses the pain. Not good, but not crisis level. With plenty of adrenaline still flowing, fully extending the arm and rotating my fist was uncomfortable but not impossible. I road home.

Sleeping was not comfortable. But, 24 hours later and holy ***t does my elbow and wrist hurt. Getting up from seated or lying down is a problem. I'm holding my injured arm clutched over my waist. I'm typing this with one hand. I don't have sausage fingers but there's clearly plenty of swelling. The arm bones are not deformed; no obvious call for setting a bone.

The question at hand (*pun*) is whether it's conceivably worth my hassle and cash to go blow $350 USD on an X-Ray. I suspect not. I suspect this is just a bad sprain and maybe some hairline fractures that will be annoying for the next 20 days.

Just wondering if anyone has horror stories along the lines that cracking up your arm a bit in a spill truly does call for x-rays and an orthopedic review.

 

[answersfound]

It's not like they're x-raying your thyroid, brain, teeth, heart, penis, etc. I'd do it. And I think anti-cholinergic drugs are protective over the x-ray's negative effects. So take a couple benadryl before you do it. but go man. it's a broken arm.

 

[tara]

I haven't broken any bones, can't comment on likelihood.
Bad sprains can also be pretty painful.
Can you get a bag of CO2 round it for half an hour a couple of times a day?

 

[Such_Saturation]

Get an MRI

 

[Tarmander]

Seriously you're asking on a forum whether your arm is busted? Dude go get an X-ray. I fell on a snow board once, hurt my arm, wasn't too bad. Could still move it, just hurt when I did several movements. Took it in and I had a fracture and needed a cast for a month and when it came off it still hurt.

 

[frankfranks]

I am seriously asking Tarmander and I thank you for your informed reply. You have steered me to paying for a checkup tomorrow morning. I am just deeply distrustful of American docs and am wary of wasting potential up towards $3,000 USD by bothering to deal with them.

 

[XPlus]

If you'd have broken your arm, you'd already be crying in pain - literally.
Rest, hot water baths with Epsom salts and a heating lamp throughout the day can help.
Some Asprin to offset inflammation and Co2 for repair.
I'd not apply anything cold on it.
And should definitely see a doctor if the pain and swelling don't get better or get worse in 1-2 days.

 

[Such_Saturation]

I imagine there is someone in the country who can diagnose fractures with an ultrasound machine, but who knows how long you would have to travel.

 

[jyb]

If you'd have broken your arm, you'd already be crying in pain - literally.
Rest, hot water baths with Epsom salts and a heating lamp throughout the day can help.
Some Asprin to offset inflammation and Co2 for repair.
I'd not apply anything cold on it.
And should definitely see a doctor if the pain and swelling don't get better or get worse in 1-2 days.

I fractured a finger before and it was really painless. I still could not move it after a day and hence it became clear it was fractured so went for the usual X-Ray & surgery, but in terms of pain it was not so bad at all compared to other injuries.

 

[Tarmander]

I am seriously asking Tarmander and I thank you for your informed reply. You have steered me to paying for a checkup tomorrow morning. I am just deeply distrustful of American docs and am wary of wasting potential up towards $3,000 USD by bothering to deal with them.

Ha alright man, let us know what they say. Sorry if I came off abrasive. I don't trust docs either, never go if I can't help it, but they got the broken bones thing down pretty well I think. Sometimes broken bones hurt really bad, sometimes not.

 

[pepsi]

At the hospital I work at , we had a patient with kidney disease, edema and obesity. He is a big man with
lots of swelling but his one arm was extra swollen and looked like cellulitis. He would scream in pain even after getting pain meds, he would never lie down to sleep, he always sat in a chair to sleep while holding his arm. Well after about a week of him being in the hospital like this without getting any better, I think they were giving him antibiotics, they decide to take an xray of his arm, and his bone was fractured. Boy did everybody feel bad after that. I hope the hospital pays that mans bills for the agony they left him in before making the correct diagnosis.

Well Im just saying if your in agony when you change positions from lying down to getting up, it might be broken.

 

[XPlus]

If you'd have broken your arm, you'd already be crying in pain - literally.
Rest, hot water baths with Epsom salts and a heating lamp throughout the day can help.
Some Asprin to offset inflammation and Co2 for repair.
I'd not apply anything cold on it.
And should definitely see a doctor if the pain and swelling don't get better or get worse in 1-2 days.

I fractured a finger before and it was really painless. I still could not move it after a day and hence it became clear it was fractured so went for the usual X-Ray & surgery, but in terms of pain it was not so bad at all compared to other injuries.

I've fractured and dislocated a finger dodging a futsal ball the wrong angle. Painful but not too painful. It took me about 1-1.5 years to completely feel pain free.
Pain from a broken arm is extremely painful but you're right, that shouldn't be ruled out.

 

[tara]

If you'd have broken your arm, you'd already be crying in pain - literally.
Rest, hot water baths with Epsom salts and a heating lamp throughout the day can help.
Some Asprin to offset inflammation and Co2 for repair.
I'd not apply anything cold on it.
And should definitely see a doctor if the pain and swelling don't get better or get worse in 1-2 days.

I like this idea, and such's suggestion of relatively benign MRI, if available. x-ray if not and if it's not gettting better soon.

 

[Such_Saturation]

Will they let him do the MRI without drinking the stuff?

 

[frankfranks]

People are going on assuming that I'm terrified of X-Rays. My concern was more wasting time and money.

I went ahead and blew the afternoon and $250 getting X-Rays today. There's probably a minor radial head fracture. No big deal; just be careful and wear a sling for a couple weeks. Pretty much what I expected.

I guess it's maybe worth the peace of mind. The whole reason for posting here was a nagging worry that maybe it was more dangerous than I assumed.

 

[tara]

Good that you got the break assessed so you can take good care of it. I'm not assuming you are terrified of x-rays, but I am assuming they are always harmful, and are best avoided when possible. Sometimes there are pressing issues, like yours maybe, where they may be the lesser evil.

If you happen to have access to a CO2 tank, I'd recommend immersion to encourage lots of circulation and oxygen to the area for healing.

 

[Such_Saturation]

You can prevent radiation damage by loading with caffeine, vitamin E, progesterone...