General information, not an individual diagnosis. Ask a healthcare professional if you are unsure about your situation.
While a cast is in place, severe pain can signal compression of the forearm muscles. It requires urgent care: contact the care service or emergency department immediately, without removing the immobilisation yourself.
After an adult wrist fracture, the bone heals through formation of a bony callus. The team following the fracture decides when immobilisation can be removed according to the injury and its progress.
Physiotherapy sessions are prescribed when the cast is removed. Wrist mobility and flexibility begin to return during these sessions and can continue improving for several months after they finish.
Recovery does not rule out a complication. In the weeks after fracture, pain with stiffness and swelling of the hand or wrist can warrant reassessment; the doctor may investigate complex regional pain syndrome.
Tingling, loss of sensation or reduced strength can also appear after a fracture and require prompt medical advice. Nerve compression at the wrist is one possible cause, but these symptoms alone do not confirm it.
At follow-up, describe tasks that remain difficult and work or travel constraints. The doctor may discuss a pre-return visit with occupational health. Resume sport or leisure only when your doctor or surgeon authorises it.
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