Does using hot eggs to reduce swelling really work? Seeking medical attention promptly is the key

Grandma Liu, 70 years old, was buying vegetables in the market with a cart in the morning. The alley had short sunshine hours and it had rained for several days, making the ground slippery. She slipped and fell. Her left wrist touched the ground and there was no deformation on the surface. She thought it was fine, so she rubbed safflower oil, and massaged with hot eggs and rice at home. Unexpectedly, not only did the pain not improve, but after a few days, the swelling became more and more, and she also had symptoms of severe pain in her left wrist, and her left wrist could not move.

The grandmother was very anxious, so the family rushed the patient to the Comprehensive Orthopedic Clinic of Hunan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine .

After being sent to the hospital, it was found that the patient had a " distal radius fracture ". The doctor said: "In fact, fractures in this area are very common. For example, when you fall and support yourself with your hands, this external pressure can easily lead to fractures. Moreover, many people often think that this is a minor matter and do not need to go to the hospital. Unexpectedly, this delays the treatment. So next time this happens, be careful!"

How common are distal radius fractures?

Winter is here, and it is drizzling. After a long period of rainy weather, the road is slippery, and the risk factor of travel has increased sharply, so the number of patients seeking medical treatment for falls and fractures has increased sharply. The hospital's general orthopedics department has admitted many patients injured by slips. The three most vulnerable parts of fractures after falls are the wrist, hip and ankle joints , among which wrist fractures account for more than 60% .

Because many people's first reaction after slipping is to support themselves with their hands , the force of the fall is transmitted to the forearm through the wrist , resulting in a distal radius fracture.

Treatment

If the patient experiences similar symptoms after falling, he/she should temporarily fix the injured wrist joint nearby, such as with a wooden stick, cardboard, etc., but not tie it too tightly. Then, support the injured arm to flex the elbow to about 90°, and go to the nearest hospital for treatment.

Treatment options

1. Closed reduction and plaster or splint external fixation For simple, stable extra-articular fractures or partial intra-articular fractures, closed reduction and plaster or splint external fixation can be used to obtain relatively satisfactory results.

2. For fractures involving the articular surface, with obvious displacement, or fractures that are difficult to maintain stability after manual reduction, surgical treatment is required. Common options include percutaneous Kirschner wire fixation, external fixator fixation, and open reduction and internal fixation.

3. Rehabilitation functional exercise

Regardless of whether it is surgical internal fixation or plaster fixation, adjacent joints can be moved after fixation: such as the active range of motion of fingers, elbows, forearms, and shoulders, as well as muscle strength exercises. Among them, finger exercises include hand intrinsic muscle exercises such as finger separation, finger synapsis, finger opposition, and palm opposition. After confirming the stability of the distal radioulnar joint, gentle forearm rotation training can be performed.

Source: Department of Orthopedics, Hunan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine

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(Edited by Wx)