NBR: Wrist injury with no swelling?

batsteph

I should probably just go to the doctor, but I'll check with Doctor Bump first since it's so much easier than schlepping myself and two little boys who'd rather be doing anything else over to the military hospital:

I've done something to my left wrist but I don't know what.  I have constant dull pain on the outside of the wrist, and it radiates up my arm a little ways and out over the top of my hand.  It hurts when I type (clearly not enough to stop me, but enough that I notice it a lot), and when I flex the wrist and put weight on it (like if I were to use that hand to push myself up from sitting on the floor) it hurts really freaking bad.  I've been doing plenty of involuntary cursing over it today.  It also hurts a lot when I do things like picking up Wills, or even when I try to use my left index finger to push the trigger on my toothpaste canister.  No swelling or discoloration, though.  It's so weird.

Does that sound like a sprain?  I don't remember injuring it in any way; it was just like this when I woke up this morning.  Could it be a repetitive motion thing?  Could I have injured it in my sleep last night?  Doctor or wait it out?  WWYD?

shanwalk2

I *personally* would probably wait it out.  Take into consideration that I hate going to the doctor for pain.  I would think the dr. would probably tell me to take something for inflammation and tell me to rest it as much as possible.

If you feel like it could be muscular - I would alternate heat/ice, take something for inflammation and rest it for another few days.  If it was still enough to be causing involuntary cursing in a couple days... I'd head to the doctor.  

Hope you're back to 100% soon! 

batsteph

Thanks!  I hate going to the doctor for pain too, but I will if my arm is ultimately going to fall off or something.

You being a dancer vs. me being just clumsy makes you, in my mind, far more of an expert on things like this than I am (seeing as your line of work has probably done more than mine to teach you when it's worth having checked out vs. when it's a wait and see thing).  I like the wait it out plan.