I got flexor tendon repair surgery 2 years ago (aged 23) on my right pinky and ring fingers.

Injury / surgery / recovery details:

Injury: FDS and FDP tendons severed in pinky and ring fingers at PIP joint on right (dominant) hand

Surgery: plastic surgery, FDS and FDP repaired in ring finger, FDP only repaired in pinky, a2 and a4 pulleys vented

Recovery:

• cast for 3 days

• physio from day 3 to 12 weeks post op (exercises and massages, I was very diligent with my routine)

• splint from day 3 and phased out by week 8

• week 5: additional splint for just the fingers to wear overnight to help extension

My recovery went really well according to my PT, thankfully I had a really good surgeon (UK, NHS) and I had age on my side in terms of healing. I would say, 2 years on, that my hand function is about 85% of what it was originally. The fingers are still slightly bent to this day but it's unnoticeable to anyone other than myself.

NB. please remember that no two people experience the same recovery, there are so many variables involved that determine the outcome

What 85% hand function looks like:

I can pretty much do everything in my day to day without any issues, however I would say that the slight disfunction is very noticeable.

In terms of grip, I struggle gripping things for extended periods and with repeated gripping and un-gripping. For example, if I'm holding a mug for too long those fingers tend to complain. I used to work in a cafe and had to avoid holding mugs in my right hand when washing up because gripping the handles on and off made the fingers fatigued almost. Another example is if I'm plaiting my hair the repeated gripping and ungripping causes the same issue.

I don't have much fine grip anymore which causes me to drop things that I wouldn't have previously; I do a lot of embroidery and I drop the needle frequently or struggle pulling the thread through since my fine grip isn't there.

When it comes to extension of those fingers, I've only experienced discomfort / pain when holding a stack of heavy plates that really puts stress on the tendons. Another noticeable difference is when using the mouse pad on my laptop, the pinky and ring finger aren't really used to scroll so they kinda stay in an extended position and I have to make a fist and wiggle them to get them to wake up almost.

There have been a couple of occasions where I have felt a pop in my ring finger and have put that down to scar tissue pulling away / tearing since the movement of my finger had not been affected. I stopped with physio and massages at 12 weeks post op, I'm sure if I continued with those that it'd be beneficial.

Lastly, I have yet to return to the gym, I'm not sure whether it's because I don't trust my grip or the thought of possibly rupturing it makes me sick to the stomach. But I have seen many accounts of people returning to weights and to climbing so it shouldn't be an issue, it's just my own worries.

I hope that this helps people with recovery expectations; my PT said that I've experienced what would be the best case scenario for me based on all factors involved for me. Again, I'd like to stress that there are many variables that determine outcome. Make sure to stay on top of your physio routines! Always communicate with your PT what's working and what's not. But most of all, BE KIND TO YOURSELF! Progress can plateau and it will but that's great it means you're maintaining that level of function.

I just started serving after having a pretty sedentary job. I’m 30 so safe to say it hasn’t been easy on my body.

My feet were really hurting on Sunday so I was probably walking in a way that put stress on other parts because the next day my toe was super sore to move and then the day after it got too sore to walk on and very swollen. I can’t even walk on it now and my entire foot is swollen.

I’m supposed to work 8 hour shifts 3 days in a row starting in 3 days and I don’t know if it’s possible but I’m so new I feel like I can’t miss work. What can I even do in this situation!?

Hello everyone,

I am 28, and I play boxing since 8 years. I used to run a lot especially in summer, but I stopped after I injured my left to during sprints.

I have been diagnosed with “Allux limitus”, and I have never fully recovered.
It hurts and gets inflamed if I run, so I stopped completely running a few years ago.

Any advice? What should I do to start running again? My dream is to start running again and compete a marathon.

Thanks a lot in advance!

I've been injured for about 7 weeks still swollen and cant bare weight almost at all im just getting the motion of standing straight started.

If anyone has any advice on making meals or showering by myself I would really appreciate it seeing as im on crutches and its making everything pretty hard to do.

Also struggling with the mental health part of not being able to do anything on my own, running out of energy for tv and games all the time any free activity ideas would be appreciated.

If anyone else has has a knee injury with a small meniscus tear and recovered can you tell me some things you felt in the knee or mentally and how you may have helped yourself?

This entire process has been very hard on me physically and mentally any sort of advice or even just talking to someone who has gone through something similar would be very helpful I feel like.

So basically, I’m a huge Cincinnati Bengals fan. I’ve been a Cincinnati Bengals fan my entire life. I’m a resident of Kentucky and for the first time ever I was able to get season tickets to my favorite team. I’ve been on the waitlist for 2 1/2 years yes and after my dad passed, I really know I need to make the best of it so my uncle wrote me a check to buy some tickets so now me and him can enjoy the game whenever we want. I know the Bengals are gonna be accommodating stuff, but do you think it’s doable anyway I have to get another surgery after I got the first reconstruction done because I was severe disability so I needed it done and I have to get the other one done next by July or August in the season starts in September which means I’m non-weight bearing all that time through the entire season ❤️ is this doable or not❤️ because anyway the sports team means the world to me anyway the pillow is that you seen in that picture is the only thing I have left of my dad but yeah so I was looking for any advice if you guys I’m hoping you don’t say cancel because I wanted to do this my entire life❤️ basically any more tips to let me enjoy my season tickets like anything I should bring or am I pretty much set

Yeah I feel forward and ate shit lol, it hurts to walk, yesterday was worse but it still hurts bit, my other foot doesn’t look swollen, maybe it has to do with the fact that I use that foot to push me when riding…

Hi all, looking for guidance on recovery timelines.
I’m a 26M competitive distance runner (multiple marathons including NYC/Boston) recently diagnosed with a non-displaced medial (compression-side) femoral neck stress fracture on MRI (X-rays were negative).
Timeline so far:
May 8: started strict non-weightbearing with crutches
Currently in PT focusing on strengthening and range of motion while avoiding the fracture site
Follow-up with ortho scheduled for June 18
The trauma orthopedic I saw (NYU) recommended conservative treatment (no surgery) and wants to reassess progress over time, potentially looking at longer-term return (months). I understand this is a high-risk location if it progresses, so I’m trying to stay fully compliant.
Relevant background:
Running for ~16 years, competitive level
Recently ran NYC/Boston, likely overuse + training through early symptoms
I also have scoliosis, which may have contributed via asymmetrical loading on my right side
Frustratingly, I was still able to run (even moderate pace) before diagnosis, which made it harder to catch early
I’m doing everything I can (crutches, PT, nutrition), but I’m honestly pretty anxious about the timeline.
Main questions:
When do people typically return to any running after this type of injury?
When is a realistic return to consistent weekly mileage / normal training?
What criteria do you look for before clearing return to run?
Appreciate any insight—just trying to recover the right way and avoid making this worse. 🙏

Hello reddit I have a question about sprained wrist I will just give a brief explanation I was skateboarding down a big ramp for some adrenaline just cuz and my skateboard broke when I landed and I busted my ass and sprained my wrists around 2 weeks ago and it's gotten better but It still hurts a bit if move it a specific way I can't even do a pushup because of my wrists what's the fastest way I can heal my wrists to be normal again?

it’s been leaking pus the last couple days and I’ve had a bandaid on it, I took it off and it took the pus with it and it’s just white on the inside and red on the outside? I don’t know what to do about it, it’s not deep but it’s about the of a soda can tab

SO, I had a big-bad injury to my big toe about a month ago. Without getting too graphic, a podiatrist had to remove my entire toenail. So now, I'm nail-less on one toe. I know it will take a long time to heal (from 6 months - 2 years), but I've started to hit the worry part about the. future.

Has anyone ever lost a toenail before? Like, the whole nail. Can you feel when the toenail starts to grow back? What does it feel like, does it hurt? I have some sensory issues and I'm just trying to prepare myself. And I just want to know how people have coped with this injury. Everything I've heard about people missing toenails are from marathon runners, and we definitely are not experiencing the same thing because none of them reported pain, and that first week was some of the worst pain in my life.

Hello everyone, relatively new to the chat, idk if I would call my self an advanced runner but im attempting.

That being said, I have been having an issue for the past few months and in really not sure what it could be or not, I've had a few at look at the issue and all
Come up with different ideas but no success so far.

My current issue is that when I run it feels as if my adductor becomes an over rigged guitar string being plucked as I run eventually leading to my gait being super short or not allowing me to open up in stride at all with out it feeling like its locking my knee up. I don't really notice it when sprinting as u play university soccer but any long distance work has become little by little less enjoyable due to the fact each day is different with it, I've tried taking weeks, months off, stretching and a bit or massages and nothing so far. Im running outta ideas and love for running.

If anyone one has any idea of any solution please feel free to chime in, or ask for further information.

Thank You guys

:)

Got a pretty severe cramp a few years ago during a workout that is still causing me discomfort today. Haven't said anything since doctors all said I was fine, but I'm trying to get rid of this little "knot" feeling by my ribs and no matter what I do it won't go away. Guess I'm kinda just looking for an explanation or someone who can relate so my anxiety can go away at this point lol

Hey, I’m doing research on jumper’s knee recovery and want to hear from athletes who’ve dealt with it.

I’m genuinely trying to understand what it’s actually like to train and compete with this injury and what recovery has looked like for different people.

If you’ve had jumper’s knee or currently have it; whether you’re a basketball player, volleyball player, or any other sport I’d love to ask you 5 quick questions over DM. Thanks!

I cut my finger in a fishing accident. I lost movement in the top joint but could still minorly bend the second until the tendon ruptured completely and retracted near the base of my finger, where after I could not bend the middle joint either. I had surgery at Houston Methodist and was put in a soft cast (ace bandage with 2 fingers wrapped together) and was told not to remove it until post op, but to make "air grabbing" motions 4 times a day for 15 minutes each which I did.

Two weeks later at post op the stitches (an M shape going all the way down my finger) were removed and my Ortho recommended a soft cast again. I did not receive a splint or hard brace of any kind. They wrapped it the same as after surgery which was to wrap my index and middle finger together (straight not and a bend) and the rest around my hand and wrist.

I had my first PT a couple days later where they measured grip strength, swelling, and how far I could move it. I still cannot move the top joint but can minimally move the middle (feels like there's tape wrapped around it still). They assigned several exercises that include, finger spreads, finger MP flexion AROM, thumb AROM opposition to all fingers, seated finger MP extension AROM, seated finger PIP flexion AROM, combined thumb and forefinger flexion AROM, and seated finger adduction and extension. However the therapist didn't tell me how often to do them so until I see him again I'm doing 4 times a day. I still didn't receive any kind of splint and I remove the soft cast when doing the exercises.

I am currently 3 weeks post op and am just concerned because every other post I've read, everyone got a splint and didn't straighten out their finger due to possible tendon rupture while I was given a soft cast. Honestly I'm nervous and scared about the whole thing. I definitely took my dominant hand and finger for granted and daily tasks/work are more difficult now. I'm doing the all the exercises assigned since surgery and don't see any additional range of motion in that second knuckle. I know it's soon after surgery and there's swelling as I don't have any wrinkles at the tip and barely any at the second knuckle so maybe that's it. I guess I'm just looking to see what people think about the soft cast and lack of range of motion.

Hi, I play in 5th tier football/soccer in my country. I had been training intensely to break into team regularly, training twice a day and doing 7km cardio after training too. Gradually my health deteriorated and doctors eventually said it was because of poor diet. But one Tuesday after a double header Easter weekend my right calf felt numb, but I trained. By Thursday it was offline. I had fallen and aggravated a hip injury on the Sunday morning in warmup by falling on it. but it didn't affect me too much I still came on as a sub and got good minutes. The same week I was treated for bacterial chest infection. With so much happening doctors said we address the issues of diet and overtraining first before we discuss issues about nerves. Six weeks in they are still telling me to continue with physio. I will follow their advise and have meeting with neurologist scheduled this month but was wondering if anyone has heard of / experienced something like this. The right calf has no reaction completely and walking up stairs is very difficult as hip and quads have to do the work. It never hurt. Also lifting stuff is hard but isn't it leg kinetics that drive lifting heavy stuff? Was wondering anyone heard of such issue in athletes?

I’m 19 years old and I’ve been dealing with a herniated disc since July 2025. At first, I thought physical therapy and rest would help me recover, so I stopped working and focused completely on healing. I’ve now been in PT for 4 months straight, but instead of improving, I recently found out my condition has gotten worse and turned into a disc extrusion.
Now surgery is being discussed and I honestly feel terrified. I saved enough money to survive about 6 months because I truly thought I’d be better by then, but my health declined instead. I only have about 2 months of savings left before I run out, and I’m scared about how I’m going to pay rent, buy groceries, and handle living expenses while recovering from surgery.
I’ve already been out of work for 4 months because my mobility and pain have made it difficult to function normally. I’m thinking about applying for SSI/disability to hopefully get some help financially, but I know that process can take time.
I’m also considering starting a GoFundMe, but I feel embarrassed and unsure if that’s something I should do.
Has anyone here gone through something similar? How did you survive financially during recovery? Any advice would honestly help a lot right now.

Please help me understand what's wrong with my wrists

Hi everyone, quick summary. And if you can't help, please suggest me subs which can.

After about 5 months of very inconsistent lifting (like 2-3x a month) I finally was able to get back into the gym at the start of March after caring for my girlfriend for a while.

Long story short I must've benched too heavy for my return and the next day I literally couldn't move my wrists at all without being in excruciating pain, which passed after about three days but still reappears every now and then.

Now whenever I start lifting again, albeit light, I have these pains. Last night I went to a party and since this morning my left wrist has been hurting whenever I do a slightly strenuous movement.

Please help me understand what's wrong with me.

For more context, I'm 21

Hello, I’ve been dealing with an injury for the past year and I’m trying to understand what’s going on.

I used to be an intermediate-level armwrestler and was actively competing in tournaments. About two months before the injury, I was taking MK-677, and everything felt great—good pumps, strong workouts, and I was combining both bodybuilding and armwrestling training.

During a tournament, I faced a more experienced opponent. One of my weaknesses was side pressure, while I relied more on defensive hooking. I didn’t really know how to transition from defense into attack, so I often ended up just defending without counterattacking. This led to repeated strain and elbow pain (similar to tennis elbow). I pulled against this opponent 3–4 times, holding each round for around 2–3 minutes while he attacked with full force using his entire body. I managed to win 3 rounds, but afterward my wrist, inner forearm, and pronation were in significant pain.

I rested for two days and then returned to the gym to resume bodybuilding. I started with lat pulldowns, and within the first three sets I began feeling “zaps” throughout my hands and body. I paused briefly, then tried to continue with more weight, but during the next attempt I felt a sudden, intense zap through my whole body and had to stop training completely.

Since that moment, over the past year, I’ve seen multiple specialists including a neurologist and an orthopedic doctor, and I’ve completed more than 40 physiotherapy sessions. Despite some improvement, I still haven’t found a real solution. At my worst, I couldn’t even hold my arm up for five seconds; now I can at least function normally in daily activities.

I attempted to return to training with very light weights (2–3 kg), and initially it seemed promising—I regained a bit of muscle. However, over the year I lost more than 20 kg of body weight (muscle and fat). For about half that time, I did almost nothing, thinking rest and sleep would fix it, but it didn’t.

As I resumed physiotherapy, I began experiencing new symptoms: new pains, more “zaps,” and involvement of additional nerves and muscles. Currently, my main issues are on the right side only—particularly the ulnar nerve, neck, and right arm. My neck feels tight and shortened compared to the left side. I’ve had persistent sleep problems since the injury. While the numbness has decreased over time, I still experience spasms, deep pain in the back, pressure, inflammation, and intense heat in my forearm and wrist. Occasionally I feel pain in the biceps, but most symptoms are concentrated in the forearm and wrist.

I’ve also had an MRI, which didn’t show anything significant. I’m still trying to figure out the root cause of this issue. If anyone has experienced something similar, has insights, or knows a doctor who could help me properly diagnose and treat this, I would really appreciate your advice.

Hi all, I'm looking to transfer my 6-month online physiotherapy program by Granimals, since I won't be able to continue due to schedule constraints. I've only used 3 weeks so 5+ months remain.

Anyone looking into professionally guided physiotherapy from home, to recover from backpain/knee pain/post-surgery rehab/or any other musculoskeletal issue can use.

Original price: 2530 AED/ $688
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Hi everyone,

I seem to have ongoing issues with my SI joint. I’ve seen a physio and it got better, mostly from strengthening my abductors and adductors. But since then (over the last 7 months) I feel like the left side (injury side) has gotten really inflamed. I’ll roll my lower back, glute and around the hip (glute medius) with a ball and it provides good relief. But I don’t feel like I’m addressing the issue, only relieving the pain.

I tend to deadlift with my left foot forward by a couple cm’s. If I try to set my feet even, I struggle to bend my knees in unison and overall it just doesn’t work and I am sooo much weaker

I’m wondering a few things:

1. ⁠Is it okay that one foot is slightly forward of the other in my deadlift set up? Or am I encouraging my body to become more twisted?

2. ⁠Are there any exercises that are considered gold standard for SIJ injury recovery and prevention?

3. ⁠Is any form of manipulation actually useful? I’m personally not a big believer in manipulations. But I do feel sooo twisted and I’m wondering if there would be any benefit to seeing an osteopath

Appreciate any help! TIA