Sleeping in a cast (wrist fracture)

Bones, joints and muscles
1

4 days ago i fractured my distal radius from falling down some steps and literally breaking my fall, it's not my first break (foot 2005 ankle 2007) and i expected the pain, which is still moderate to bad, but painkillers and a sling are helping. I had a backslab on until yesterday and recieved a real fiberglass cast for the next 4- 6 weeks (my 3yr old suggested bright pink lol)

anyway how do you sleep cmfortably in an arm cast? I can't find a comfy position in any way i never remember having such touble when i had my leg in plaster.

2

I broke my 5th metacarpal in May and had surgery. And rebroke it on July 1. I had a splint up to my elbow. I used a a lot of pillows to support my body and arm while sleeping, and sitting.

Hope your recovery is quick.

3

thanks think i'm going to have to try that approach, hope you're recovering nicely too, that's a lot in a short space of time

4

Hopefully in a few days you will get used to sleeping propped with pillows. I also broke my foot on July 1st so I was propped head to toe sad Now I feel uncomfortable if I don't have my many pillows around me and the splint is off lol.

Happy healing.

5

Try on your side and put the arm. With cast under pillow and rest your head on it, worked for me. Not the greatest way to sleep but comfy 

6

thanks I'll try that for such a small cast (compared to the one for my ankle) it's making life tricky

7

I broke my right distal radius have cast of now , still can,t find a comfy way to sleep I use pillows to support my hand up while sleeping ..but the only thing now is from May to August this way my shoulder is beginning to hurt .. Still today I,ve no movement in my fingers or wrist I were a support still on this arm .. Hope you find a comfy way .. Keep in touch 

8

oh ouch and I thought I was having a stressful time of it lately...kinda never rains but it pours in our house lately

9

the more i hear about this fracture the more worried i am

10

I am surprised that you have no movement in your fingers. Was it just a single break in the distal radius?  how long did you have the plaster/fibreglass cast on? A full 6 weeks or less?

11

Keep you arm elevated up above your heart if you can. It will help with the swelling

12

I broke my wrist on the 15 th may had 14 casts on some fibreglass some just back slabs got the last of on the 10 th July .. Attending hand therapy 3 days a wk .. Swelling going down a little ..every time I got a full cast on they were very tight had to be cut of I went through 4 in one weekend . Was told it could be 8 month till a year before I have any kind of movement . Read abt others but cannot find anyone that had this problem 

13

That sounds terrible! Was it just a single break in the distal radius or did you have other shattered bones in the hand or a 2nd radius break? I agree that the full cast does feel tighter but ihave got used to it now. I can't imagine having it done 4 times in 1 weekend. Did you have tingling or numbness in your hand? I have had little visible swelling though I could see a bit when they removed the temp cast and replaced it with the more permanent one

14

Is your  swelling within/under the plaster  or is it more your hand/fingers which are affected?

15

Broke the two bones  and k wires .. My fingers and wrist where always swollen hand was always pointed down couldn,t straighten wrist fluid couldn,t move . Got wrist straight a little more today ,fingers starting to move a little .started at a 30% angle now got to 18% feelin good

16

I used a larger than normal pillow, and hugged it like a Teddy bear between my legs.  I am a rotten habit stomach sleeper, so the cast up to elbow with fiberglass was also horrible for me.   The biggie pillow keeps one from rolling over, keeps the cast arm up and away from self and spouse.   Also, I was in dread fear, as you may be, of having my cast arm fall alseep in a bound position!  Panic city!

If you back sleep, the pillow still is useful in pinning that arm carcass to your side.  Once I got used to this, If I awoke at night, I was surprised to forget I had a cast on.  Hope that can work!

17

How are you doing now Barbiegrrl. You had your fall just after mine. Has the pain improved. I went for my 2nd appointment and x-ray last Friday. Was told that i didn't need to go back for 4 weeks when they will remove the cast. It is currently progressing well. Are you sleeping better?

 

18

With my broken wrist and cast, I tried to keep my wrist above my heart to reduce swelling. I was told not to use a sling because that would not keep my wrist up high enough!  At night I slept on my back with one pillow under my head, another under my elbow, another on my stomach with my cast leaning on that one. I also could sleep on my good side with one pillow under my head, two pillows stacked longway by my stomach and head, and my cast arm resting on the stacked pillows.  A couple of times when I woke with my arm under my head, my arm was much more swollen and painful.

19

I am going through the EXACT same thing, except I got a distal radial fracture while skating. I sort of wrap my cast in a blanket, but I don't need to prop it b/c it isn't swollen.

20

THERE WAS FOR ME A TRANSITION TIME IN THE BEGINNING TRYING TO ADJUST TO THIS CALAMITY.  THE MIND, EMOTIONS AND BODY HAS TO SLOWLY UNDERSTAND THAT IT 'S  GOING TO TAKE TIME WHEN YOU ARE CONFINED, UNABLE TO DO THINGS YOU TOOK FOR GRANTED, HAVING TO DEPEND ON THE KINDNESS OF OTHERS AND OVERWORKING THE GOOD ARM ETC.   TIME WILL SEEM TO CREEP BY WAITING FOR IMPROVEMENTS AS YOUR FRUSTRATION AND IMPATIENCE BUILD.  THEN YOU WILL BE MORE PHILOSOPHICAL AND AS YOU READ OF OTHERS AND HOW THEY ARE GETTING THRU IT, IT WILL HELP IMMENSELY.

YOU CAN LEARN ALOT DURING THIS TRIAL THAT WILL BENEFIT YOU LATER.   YOUR FORTUNE IS IN YOUR MISFORTUNE.