Stiff fingers after a broken wrist

A wrist fracture can cause swelling that extends into the hand and fingers. A cast, splint, or period of protection may also limit normal bending and straightening. As tissues heal, the joints, tendons, and skin can feel tight. Pain may make you hold the fingers still, which can add to the loss of movement. Stiffness does not by itself show that the fracture has healed incorrectly. The pattern matters: note which fingers are affected, whether swelling is changing, and how much movement returns after gentle use. Finger stiffness can also occur with Hand Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Trigger Finger, or Dupuytren's Contracture, so persistent or unusual symptoms deserve assessment.

Follow the fracture and hand-therapy instructions you were given, including any limits on lifting or wrist movement. If movement has been approved, gently open and close the hand, slide the fingers toward the palm, and straighten them without forcing a painful range. Elevating the hand can help reduce swelling, and keeping the skin and any splint cared for supports comfortable movement. Do not remove a cast or alter a prescribed splint without advice. A physiotherapist or hand therapist can adjust exercises as healing progresses and address scar, tendon, or joint restriction.

Seek urgent help if the fingers become blue, unusually cold, increasingly numb, or difficult to move, or if swelling and pain rise quickly. Contact the treating service promptly for worsening redness, drainage, fever, a cast that feels dangerously tight, or new deformity. Arrange a review if stiffness is not gradually easing, finger movement is declining, or you cannot use the hand for basic tasks after the expected healing plan. These changes may require an examination of circulation, nerves, the fracture, or the rehabilitation approach.

Ask which finger movements are safe now, how much swelling is expected, and when hand therapy should begin or change. Ask whether your splint allows enough finger movement, how to protect the fracture while exercising, and what signs would mean that you should call sooner.