Stress fracture in hand?

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins

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Oct 10, 2004
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Has anyone ever suffered from a stress fracture as a result of clinging onto a neck strap for an hour?

I had a jumping lesson on Saturday which was fabulous. Ben was very forward and was absolutely flying round. It was so much fun, but because I was a little scared and also because I didn't want to pull him in the mouth, I clung onto my neckstrap for dear life!

Since the lesson I can barely move my right hand. It really is very stiff and very painful. I have problems getting dressed, can't fully weight bare and can't straighten my hand out. It was swollen but that is starting to go down now.

I am hoping that it is just a strain and that I haven't fractured it, but as time is getting on the pain isn't going away and I am starting to get concerned. Now I do know the obvious answer is to go to the doctor who will probably strap it, but I have my first BD competition on Saturday and I REALLY want to do it. Funnily enough I can still ride and don't think about it much when I am actually riding, but it does hurt when I stop.

My plan is to do the BD competition and then go to the doctors next week if my hand is no better. Yes I know that's nuts, but I also know most of you would do the same thing!

Has anyone else had a stress fracture by simply riding for an hour?
 
Would of thought it's more likely a nerve or ligament strain?
 
No advice, just healing vibes. It would be a shame to miss your planned comp. All I could think is try some kind of muscle rub on it maybe??
 
I too would think it's more likely muscle strain, unless you palpatate and one specific point is painful? If it's muscular, alternate ice and heat packs as much as you can. I tend to use stuff I have for the horses on me, arnica gel is nice on sore muscles, or muscle liniment :)
 
Personally @Mary Poppins I think you should go get it checked, it could be any number of things and potentially the longer you leave it the harder it could be to heal. Appreciate you want to do your comp but getting it checked isn't going to stop that unless it is broken and they put you in plaster, in which case you'd be a bit silly doing the comp anyway, but it's your hand, your call.
 
Unless you have weak bones, it seems unlikely that gripping too hard will break a bone.
I walked around on a broken ankle for a few days till my doctor daughter suggested it could be broken, so my first reaction was to say get it checked.

But if you feel good enough to compete, that suggests it doesnt need urgent medical attention. The time to worry is if the pain gets worse or there is swelling or bruising that isnt gradually healing. If someone with an injury feels good enough to compete and makes that public performance their priority, they shouldnt be bothering the doctor yet.
On the other hand surely you shouldnt be gripping a neck strap that hard. Tautness in one part of your body is likely to cause tightness elsewhere. My DVD of Pippa Funnel has her using a neck strap a lot (something that is beyond me) to take the pressure off the horses mouth but she isnt gripping it. In fact onecan ride a horse with a neck strap as a substitute for bit and reins, which suggestsa that the horse is steered and slowed down by neckstrap pressure.
If you are holding the reins sensitively in dressage riding you still have the use of that hand -and resting it - not gripping or lifting should surely help it to heal.

I think any visit to the doctor should be conditional on the state of your hand next week - rather than the fact that you have had your dream to compete. It shouuld not take place immediately after you have ridden in a competition and used it all day. Give it time to recover from the competition and when you have rested it, if it is not slowly getting better, then go to the doctor.

The attraction of competing is quite beyond me - but you like the public human assessment side of riding and I do not.
 
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No but years ago my friend somehow fractured her foot standing in a queue outside a nightclub! She was wearing flat boots too...Never found out what actually happened - as far as either of us could tell, there was no obvious cause like someone stamping on her foot etc - but we spent the night in A&E instead of drinking and dancing and she had a hairline fracture!
 
I'd get it checked, then you know its ok for the comp, and if its not ok, well the Dr will either strap it and you can ride anyway, or he'd say no riding and then yep youd miss your comp but thats better than doing more/permenant damage to it? Whats just one comp?
I was jumping Mads a couple years ago in a lesson, went over the jump fine and landed with my thumb on her neck, so it got bent backwards, it hurt when it happened but felt ok, so I kept going (must have been the adrenaline!) and then when I was all done, I couldn't even take off the saddle! So went to get it checked and I had torn two tendons in my thumb. I got given a removable cast and I was allowed to ride as long as I had the cast. So I have a few jumping photos with a bright purple cast on! But I could have done serious permenant damage to my thumb which would ahve meant more time off horses. So this definitely worked better for me!
I've also ridden with broken ribs (accidentally!) and broken shoulder, so I do ride with injuries but I like to know what the injury is and make up my mind then to ride or not. Like with my thumb Dr said it was ok to ride with the cast. My ribs she said if its not painful to ride then ok, but dont take risks/do something where you could fall off. My shoulder that needed surgery I was banned from riding and I didn't (longest year ever).

Long story short: I'd get it checked then make the decision from there if you want to compete or not, then you are making an informed decision
 
Thanks everyone. My hand is getting slightly better day by day. The swelling has gone down and I can now move it drug free so I think it is OK.

I never would have thought I could hurt myself from holding onto a neck strap. He was going REALLY fast and I didn't want to hold him back so I just literally clung on for dear life! My other hand hurt as well but not as badly!
 
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