Anyone have experience with a boxer's fracture?

[tl2001]

Hey guys,
Fell on my hand incorrectly while grappling a few weeks ago. Heard an audible snap (as if a bone had broken). Sure enough, I've got a fractured 5th metacarpal Boxer's fracture - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. I've continued training jiu-jitsu for an August tournament, and training in the weightroom 3x a week (the injury will only allow about 60% of my normal intensity, however). Online there are recovery times listed of anywhere to 4-12 weeks, and even some instances of surgery. It hasn't gotten any WORSE, per se; but I'd be stretching the truth if I said it was healing properly. I haven't experienced an injury like this since I was a kid, and I guess my feeling is that I can continue to train at half-speed in the weightroom and 100% at the Academy, for fear of losing valuable time, under the assumption that the hand will take much longer to heal.
So my question to anyone at ProMuscle is does anyone have experience with this injury? It seems like a fairly common athletic injury - has anyone had this injury and continued to train as close to normally as possible? If so, what was your recovery time? Has anyone had this injury and done what I've done and ruined themselves?
I'm sure there are plenty of "huge mistake, see your doctor" responses, and I understand that IS, in fact, the ideal thing to do. But sometimes we are put into positions where the ideal solution would be a huge setback to our lifestyle. I am reluctant to lose 12 weeks of training, as I'm sure most of you would be. Is there any way around full-on splinting the hand for a month for those of you who have experience with this injury? Thanks guys.

TL

 

[nosnmiveins]

broke mine about 2 years ago. i had a plastic brace thing that basically pressed from the top and bottom of my hand to help straighten the bone. i trained without the brace on and as normally as i could, but of course certain gripping of things was just a no-go. took i think 5-6 weeks to fully heal. the bone is slighty raised and not perfectly straight, but it doesnt negatively affect me or my training in any way.

the first few weeks of training while it was broken was litterally a pain, but it didnt keep me out of the gym

 

[tl2001]

No shit man, thanks for the reply. So the brace you used did not completely immobalize your broken hand for athletic purposes? You're saying you trained with a brace on? The only ones I've seen look bulky and cumbersome.

 

[tl2001]

broke mine about 2 years ago. i had a plastic brace thing that basically pressed from the top and bottom of my hand to help straighten the bone. i trained without the brace on and as normally as i could, but of course certain gripping of things was just a no-go. took i think 5-6 weeks to fully heal. the bone is slighty raised and not perfectly straight, but it doesnt negatively affect me or my training in any way.

the first few weeks of training while it was broken was litterally a pain, but it didnt keep me out of the gym

My fault man. You took it off to train, I understand.

 

[Aries]

I have personally had to deal with a boxers fracture multiple times. I used a soft splint, you can remove it and have mobility, unlike a hard cast. I could not workout with my injury at all. I wouldn't suggest trying to lift any weights for at least 4 weeks, in my experience trying to perform any pushing or pulling exercises just aggravated it more (and hurt like hell). It would also depend on the individual and the severity of the actual break. All of my breaks came from fights so there was alot of swelling and bruising on almost all occasions.
Just give it a chance to get set up good, and be very easy for at least a month. you don't want to break it again for sure.

 

[ICU11b]

Have done it twice. Half cast(plaster on bottom/ace bandage wrap) for three weeks. It just wouldnt heal if I continued training. Had to take the time off & immobilize.

 

[tl2001]

Aries and ICU: I really appreciate the feedback, thanks a lot. I like the idea of a removable soft splint and taking it easy in the weightroom - the more I'm reading online and from you guys, the less I was to risk a permanent injury. I don't want to regret this decision (or lack of one). I've been comparing my symptoms to photos of the same injury, and mine seems to be relatively mild. I was able to flat bench 300lbs 6x last week even. That being said, I think I'll bite the bullet and go the soft splint route. I worry the longer I doddle the longer I'm putting off an inevitable decision. Thanks again.

TL

 

[BigHilly]

I broke mine way way back, punching a wall lol, wall head a steal beam behind it. I had a cast for a lil less than a month. Right when I did it I knew i would need a cast. Ive had friends with minimal ones however and they never saw doctors or had splints/casts. Worst thing that happened to them was some of their fingers wernt as long as the other fingers on the opposing hand bc of the break. I think youll be fine.

 

[Aries]

Sounds like you are doing okay. Just give the heavy weight a rest, go light for another week or so. I cant believe you were able to stand benching 300lbs.

 

[MonkeyBoy]

Broke mine a few years back. Put me in a hard cast I believe for about a month. I didn't train at all, just took the time off.
The hardest thing for me was when it came off, first day I was in the gym but my wrist was really weak from not moving it at all.

Sorry to hear about your injury, make sure it heals right than get back on it, it would suck to re injury again and be out twice as long. Good luck bro

 

[Dionysusedge]

I fractured my hand about 9 years ago punching out a kareoke machine (LONG STORY AND I WAS DRUNK).

Went to the Dr the next day, and he put a cast on my hand, and told me to leave it alone.

I took the cast off a week later, and proceeded to go about daily life (Like an asshole).

To this day, my hand is still fucked up.

If somebody shakes my hand just right, it feels like my hand is being crushed in a vice, and i have to hide the pain so i dont look like a pussy.

Stupidist thing ive ever done was not letting my hand heal correctly.

 

[Michaelthomasj]

Hey guys,
Fell on my hand incorrectly while grappling a few weeks ago. Heard an audible snap (as if a bone had broken). Sure enough, I've got a fractured 5th metacarpal Boxer's fracture - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. I've continued training jiu-jitsu for an August tournament, and training in the weightroom 3x a week (the injury will only allow about 60% of my normal intensity, however). Online there are recovery times listed of anywhere to 4-12 weeks, and even some instances of surgery. It hasn't gotten any WORSE, per se; but I'd be stretching the truth if I said it was healing properly. I haven't experienced an injury like this since I was a kid, and I guess my feeling is that I can continue to train at half-speed in the weightroom and 100% at the Academy, for fear of losing valuable time, under the assumption that the hand will take much longer to heal.
So my question to anyone at ProMuscle is does anyone have experience with this injury? It seems like a fairly common athletic injury - has anyone had this injury and continued to train as close to normally as possible? If so, what was your recovery time? Has anyone had this injury and done what I've done and ruined themselves?
I'm sure there are plenty of "huge mistake, see your doctor" responses, and I understand that IS, in fact, the ideal thing to do. But sometimes we are put into positions where the ideal solution would be a huge setback to our lifestyle. I am reluctant to lose 12 weeks of training, as I'm sure most of you would be. Is there any way around full-on splinting the hand for a month for those of you who have experience with this injury? Thanks guys.

TL

I have had this injury a few times. ill be honest..it all boils down to how serious your training is. Is this tourny in august a serious one? Meaning are you grappling in a superfight or something? If this tourny can wait then i would take off from both especially the grappling. The weights are less prone to injure it futher. what i mean is the weights are a controlled movement. you can lessen the weight if need be, but in grappling, as you should know, nothing is predictable. One wrong throw,fall etc can do some serious damage to an already compromised hand. You need to weigh out the pros and cons.

 

[mtnlife]

I have had this injury 4 times three in right hand once in left. All different times doc's did it different i guess because sometimes I had insurance other times didnt. The times with insurance hard splint like cast so really could not workout. But anyway the very first time I didnt listen and did more then i should kept unrapped for work and gym. I would have for sure not have injured it again and agian i believe if I did not do this. Now my pinky and ring finger still crooked and pinky knuckle very hard to find. If I new back then what I know now I would not have tried to use it!! But that goes for alot of things in life that we learn from. So it all up to you your body.

 

[Ashop]

Hey guys,
Fell on my hand incorrectly while grappling a few weeks ago. Heard an audible snap (as if a bone had broken). Sure enough, I've got a fractured 5th metacarpal Boxer's fracture - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. I've continued training jiu-jitsu for an August tournament, and training in the weightroom 3x a week (the injury will only allow about 60% of my normal intensity, however). Online there are recovery times listed of anywhere to 4-12 weeks, and even some instances of surgery. It hasn't gotten any WORSE, per se; but I'd be stretching the truth if I said it was healing properly. I haven't experienced an injury like this since I was a kid, and I guess my feeling is that I can continue to train at half-speed in the weightroom and 100% at the Academy, for fear of losing valuable time, under the assumption that the hand will take much longer to heal.
So my question to anyone at ProMuscle is does anyone have experience with this injury? It seems like a fairly common athletic injury - has anyone had this injury and continued to train as close to normally as possible? If so, what was your recovery time? Has anyone had this injury and done what I've done and ruined themselves?
I'm sure there are plenty of "huge mistake, see your doctor" responses, and I understand that IS, in fact, the ideal thing to do. But sometimes we are put into positions where the ideal solution would be a huge setback to our lifestyle. I am reluctant to lose 12 weeks of training, as I'm sure most of you would be. Is there any way around full-on splinting the hand for a month for those of you who have experience with this injury? Thanks guys.

TL

I had this a few years back. My hand was 'set' by a surgeon and then casted for 8 weeks. No problems since then. Healed just fine. Couldnt train upper body for about 9-10 weeks though.

 

[jamco54]

I smashed the 4th and 5th metacarpals on a door (Drunk stupid college kid). I was in a cast for 6 weeks. I still have a little pain where the bones fused togethor and I got a good fusion. I would hate to think what it would be like if I didn't keep it immobilized for 6 weeks.

 

[nycressida]

i broke mine in a fight in march, was swollen as hell but i still had mobility and the pain wasnt to bad, so i went a week with out seeing a doctor, i thought i sprained it. the doctor said i broke it and tried to reduce the fracture with his hands...he was unsuccessful...needed surgery he put two pins to hold the bone and opened my hand up about an inch long at my pinky knuckel. took about 4weeks to have the pins removed and about a week to get my grip back. my bone is still elevated and when i clap my hands it feels funky. the only training i did was cardio for 6 weeks. went from 220lbs 17%bf to 202 trying to get the weight back with less bf. i would say you shouldnt train because you dont want to end up fucking it up worse and then need the surgery which will keep you down alot longer or worse end up like Dionysusedge if he feels pain shaking hands you think you'd be able to throw punches? be smart take a month off.

 

[sexyboy]

did it once put it through a wall and knicked a 2by4. lol

it took a month for pain to go away. it didnt hurt that much though.

SB

 

[tl2001]

Damn guys thanks for the input.. I went out to CVS and got a soft splint last night, and I've had it on since. It already feels better - before it was a constant pain; I'd reach into pockets to grab keys and bam I'm pausing and wincing in the middle of the parking lot. This will prob go a long way if I stay consistent for a few weeks and just rest it (skipping tonight's jiu-jitsu as we speak). Thanks again for all the advice, it helps to hear from guys who have been thru it.

TL