TFCC Tear Treatment Protocol: Significant injury

 

Expected recovery time this phase ~ 3 months

TFCC tears don’t cause loss of motion or swell.  However, a fracture or other injury can accompany a TFCC tear if there is swelling.

 

If your wrist is fractured, it must be cast so the bones can heal properly first. The following treatment plan is for wrists WITHOUT a cast, or after the cast has been removed.

Example of a stiff wrist brace

Purchase a protective brace to prevent motion until you know what type of injury you have.  Make sure it doesn’t compress or squeeze the ulnar head (wrist bone).  If you don’t have swelling, you can use a heating pad on the wrist, or alternate hot/cold water over it.   

Meunster splint

If you can get a referral for a Muenster Splint, this would help in your recovery.  It eliminates motion of the elbow and rotation of the wrist.  It requires a prescription and an appointment with a hand specialist and therapist.

 ACTION PLAN

  1. Order your WristWidget®  Wear it 24/7
    IF your WristWidget should slide down over your ulna, you have a shallow wrist crease. Read about the cause and solution here. 
  2. Protect your wrist – No lifting anything over ONE POUND (yes, we mean one pound (.5 kilo))

  3. Wear the stiff wrist brace every night until your weight bearing tolerance is 45# (20kg).

  4. Conduct Weight Bearing Test on your wrists every 7 days.  Record your results on the Weight Bearing Test Log. Wear the WristWidget when testing your injured wrist. 

Diet & Exercise

It’s time to start a clean diet: low sugar, low gluten, no processed foods, ++ dark veggies, + lean protein.

Limit your protein intake to no more than 30% of your daily macros (Protein / Carbs / Fats). Many patients report that this injury occurs in conjunction with eating a high protein diet. Read why a moderate protein diet is important here. 

Cardio exercise for 20 minutes daily – it increases the heart rate and helps the body to heal more quickly.

Eastern Medicine

• Eastern Medicine correlates the TFCC with intestinal/gut/stomach issues. (Curious? Read Wendy's post here.)  
• Acupuncture 2-3 times a week is helpful in healing.
• Many patients report improvement when Turmeric is added to the diet.

Support

Join the TFCC and Ulnar-Sided Wrist Pain Group on Facebook. This is a place where patients, therapists, physicians, alternative medicine practitioners can share their stories and experiences with the TFCC. Enjoy!

If you 'd like Wendy to advise on your case, please complete this form: https://bit.ly/ww-injury

 

GOAL

Test weight bearing weekly until your injured wrist results (while wearing the WristWidget®) = 45# (20kg).  

When you've accomplished this, move to the next step in healing, the Moderate injury stage.

You can print a healing protocol guide here:  https://bit.ly/ww-healing