Getting my elbow mojo back
Okay, what say the smartie pants about how to regain elbow ROM after a radial head compression/hairline fracture? I'm, what, 9 days out? I still need about ten more degrees on extension (feels like I hit a brick wall in the joint). Flexion is better - I think I'm almost all of the way there, it just feels a little painfully squishy in the final degrees. Pronation and supination (don't you love Google for giving you all the official names for this stuff?) are painful and I can't tell if it's just that I can't extend the elbow all the way or what. My forearm muscles often feel sore - I'm guessing that's because they're inserting into an inflamed joint.
Activities of daily living are pretty easy now, although last night I was unpacking from the rally and used the arm to toss a duffle bag up onto a shelf without thinking and nearly passed out. 
I know it's going to take several weeks to get it all back. I'm trying to focus on extension and using my triceps to pull the arm straight. Couple of reps a day? At this point I'm concerned about maintaining tricep strength. Thoughts/tips welcome! Thanks crew!
Comments
The key is repetition repetition repetition. Better to hit that pain point and stop there all day long then to try to force the arm past it and then suffer for it the rest of the day. The elbow wants to stiffen up to protect the fracture. The goal is to prevent that.
Start by warming up the elbow if you can- warm wash cloth, water, microwave beanie baggie hot back. Put it right over those sore and tight muscles for a few minutes.
Try holding a water bottle to stretch the arm out into extension. You want the stretch to be completely relaxed (meaning the weight of the bottle is causing the stretch not you actively trying to push it straight). The bottle might be too much at first. Try half full and work your way up to full if you need to. Try to hold it for 5 minutes. Note: this will be rough at first- hold on as long as you can and then bend it. Recover for a few with some easy pain free elbow movements and then with the elbow bent halfway use your other hand to stretch the arm into supination/pronation. Like I said, once you hit the pain point go the other way. Try 10-15 reps of this and and then still using that other hand try to bend the elbow up into flexion. Once you hit that pain point, hold it there for 10 seconds and come back down. repeat 10 times. ICE. It's a workout and you'll want it.
Out of curiosity- are you seeing a PT/OT?? If not...see if your ortho will order you up some services. At the very least they'll be able to massage out your arm to help loosen the muscles. They'll also be able to do some joint mobs to improve mobility.
My elbows hurt just reading that, hope you make a quick recovery.
I definitely like Keith's plan!
but I have the same Q as Leigh, are you seeing a PT/OT? When I went through it for my hand (granted that was tendon repair)... I started off every session with sonogram, then heat of some sort (did warm water extensor work at home)... I was only working on range of motion for weeks... and once that was improving, did I start passive pressure to get a few more degrees... then I started with some "strength" work... it's a process... but the steps are important. Often I'd do ice after a session bc I'd be inflamed from the work... and it was work for sure! And taking anti-inflammatories helped (essentially 800mg of Motrin). Don't rush it!
LMAO! I just fell out of my chair laughing so hard---need some Moose Crunch to recover...
I think she should start with the smaller chunks then work her way up to the really, really huge clusters...
She actually didn't warm up or pace herself correctly. The first chunk was so big she couldn't get it into her mouth and she looked like a chipmunk with puffy cheeks trying to chew it up.
That makes for a really high VI on the Moose Crunch RR. Suz---are ya getting all this?!
Leigh, you've confirmed what I was doing last week - holding something in the right hand to drop the arm down. Good to know that's the way to keep at it. No PT ordered and frankly I've been there so much lately I don't think I could stand any more. They're joking about me getting a job there. But I of course will go back if I need to.
I'm getting the wine, I mean water, bottle right now to get started...