Prognosis
The prognosis for scaphoid pain is not consistent: If it is a fracture, the therapy is complicated and can take 2-3 months. Some scaphoid fractures never heal completely and remain permanent. Surgical treatment using screws and plates is promising, since long immobilization with accompanying muscle atrophy can be avoided.
As with all bone fractures, it takes at least 6-8 weeks with conservative therapy until the bone has healed again. If there is no fracture of the scaphoid, a pain-free state can be restored within a few days by immobilisation and possible administration of painkillers. Contusions or strains nevertheless take some time to heal. During this time the hand should be protected as much as possible. Usually the pain subsides quickly in the days after the injury, although it usually disappears completely after 1-2 weeks.
Prophylaxis
For older patients, fall prophylaxis is advisable not least because of even more serious injuries.This includes the elimination of all “stumbling blocks” in the home, the correct adjustment of visual acuity when using vision aids, as well as the correct dosage of medication. For sports such as snowboarding, it is recommended to use special wrist protectors, which are specially reinforced with a plastic splint at the ball of the hand. Snowboarders in particular are predestined for radius fractures and fractures in the hand area, as they often fall forward.
A correct falling is therefore the first thing that is trained in beginner courses. For all other groups of athletes, general caution should be exercised and, for example, they should not jog in the dark woods or overexert themselves, as this increases the risk of injury. If the pain lasts longer than a week, an orthopedic surgeon should be consulted to rule out a fracture.
