Expert: Dr. Paul Newhart - 7/28/2011

Question
I fell backwards about 2 years ago and landed on my outstretched hand and injured my wrist. An Xray and MRI ruled out broken bones.  I still have problems with it to this day.  I have a "burning" pain in my wrist, thumb side, that has never went away.  The "burning" will get more intense when my thumb is tired.  I also have fatigue after using it for a little while as well as a loss of grip strength.  Is this sort of thing "normal"?

I had a splint (two differnt kinds) for about 6 weeks. I also had therapy and exercises, starting shortly after injury. I do not have any loss in my range of motion, but that wrist has been weaker than preinjury and doesn't seem to be getting any better.  All the doctor said was that injuries like this take time, but how much time was never specified.

Thank you for your time.

Answer
Without an actual hands on exam, it is difficult to diagnose.  However, barring any fractures, it sounds as if something, during the fall, was misaligned.  You may have pressure on one of the nerves of the wrist to the hand (Median Nerve).  A visit to a good chiropractor, trained to assess repetitive motion disorders (this appears to be a carpal tunnel like syndrome), should be able to set you on the right path.