Pain following hand surgery

[mmb50]

I’ve had surgery for distal ulna excision and hand tendon replacement. This is week 3 and I’m still having pretty bad pain and burning sensation in my forearm. Is this usual after such an operation? Any help would be great and much appreciated

[oldtimer]

Have you asked a health professional? Although you would expect some discomfort for some weeks, that seems a bit excessive.

[mmb50 in reply to oldtimer]

Thanks for your reply it’s appreciated. I’ve spoken to my Rheumatology Nurse she said if it continued, speak to my GP!!

[shareasmile]

Hello mmb50!

I'm sorry for the lateness of my reply. I am playing catch up with this site and thought I could offer my experience.

Last August, I had an LRTI on my left hand/base of thumb (bone removed and tendon cut and rolled up in its place). The procedure went smoothly, but recovery was painful. I had lingering swelling and stiffness along with pain and discomfort for many weeks. Therapy was somewhat ineffective due to the problems I had. My hand doc suggested prednisone, but I resisted. I tried meloxicam to reduce inflammation, but it did not help. I saw my rheumatologist on Oct 31st and she, too, recommended prednisone. I took a 5 day burst that helped for about 2 weeks. When the discomfort and swelling returned, I ended up taking prednisone starting with 20mg and tapering down over several weeks. That made a huge difference and I finally found long term relief.

I hope you find relief soon!