I am a dentist, I had a cortisone injection in my wrist and it is still sore

"After reading your website, I am so regretful that I got a cortisone shot yesterday on my wrist for my acute sprain 5 weeks ago. The pain was not bad to begin with. The doctor noticed a little swelling, so he gave me a shot without informing me of the side effects. I didn't know that the shot is so bad. What can I do now to reverse its effect? Can you help me please. I don't want to have permanent damage on my wrist since I am a dentist. My hand is my livelyhood. Please help."

A week later....

"I still have pain on my wrist. It seems like it is getting worse after the shot. What can I do? I think the cortisone shot retards the healing and make matter worse. Also because I have to use left hand all the time right now, my left wrist start hurting as well. Anything I can do to recover?"

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Gary:
Having a dentist and a dental nurse bother and sister, I fully appreciate the importance of your hands for your trade and I also appreciate the stresses that many dental procedures place on the forearms and wrist.  I do a lot of deep tissue massage work 5-7 days a week and have to be very careful to ensure my hands and forearms do not develop overuse injuries which are a constant threat to my livelihood.

Sadly, there is nothing I know of that can be done to reverse the effects of cortisone.  However; there is a lot you can do to ensure you recover from this episode and do not suffer any more, including the other forearm.

I work daily with elite athletes, including world class kayakers and waka paddlers.  Their most common complaint is overuse injuries of the forearm and shoulder.  My job is to keep them free of injury and on top of their game.  There is really little difference between the needs of a kayaker and a dentist - really!  What works for a kayaker works for a dentist.

Nutrition
While you may not need the calories of a kayaker, you sure will need the nutrients.  This means a rich intake of all the nutrients that support recovery and the building of strong, healthy muscles, tendons and ligaments.  The most convenient is to have a couple of scoops of Balance Recovery Stack each day and one or two Super Smoothies per day.  Do this daily and you will find that you get stronger and stronger and recovery from the occasional day of overdoing things will be quick and complete.

A Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) can be performed to more accurately determine your nutrient needs and to assess whether there has been any toxic element accumulation, such as mercury (Toxins, like mercury, are associated with inflammation, pain and fatigue).

Deep Tissue Massage
Arrange for a thorough deep tissue massage of the hands, arms and shoulders every week.  You might even arrange for a massage therapist to visit your surgery.  Your Chair-side Assistant will benefit from regular work on her neck and shoulders after spending 8 hours a day leaning to one side!

When combined with good nutrition, the massage can have a marked positive effect on your wrist pain, usually as soon as 3-6 weekly sessions.

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Do you have a question?  Email Gary: gary@myotec.co.nz. Include any relevant background information to your question.  Please be patient and be aware that I may not be able to answer every inquiry in detail, depending on workloads (My paying clients take precedence!). I will either reply by email or, most likely, by way of an article (Personal identifying details will be removed before publication).