My 11-year old son fell and hurt his wrist while roller blading. We've been advised to have him see a hand therapist before considering surgery. Wouldn't it be easier to just repair the problem and be done with it?

Children have a remarkable ability to heal without surgery. A small amount of help in the right direction can save him from having unnecessary surgery. Recovery time is about the same (if not longer with surgery) but the expense is far greater with surgery.

So for a small amount of time invested, he should be back to his normal activities sooner than later! If the surgeon has not immobilized the wrist in a cast, the therapist may provide him with a splint to stabilize the wrist during the healing phase. This step may help decrease inflammation during the early phase of recovery.

Range-of-motion exercises will keep the wrist moving smoothly so that scar tissue won't restrict motion. Exercises to strengthen the muscles on either side of the wrist will be slowly and gradually added. The goal of the exercises is to stabilize and protect the wrist while the ligaments are out of commission.

If your son is not able to regain his preinjury level of function pain free, then surgery may be the next step. An MRI will probably be ordered to identify specific areas of damage. This helps the surgeon prepare in advance the specific treatment needed.

Hopefully, with a small amount of therapy, your son's symptoms will resolve, strength will improve, and he'll be back on his roller blades once again. As a parent, you can help prevent future injuries by insisting he wear protective gear. This includes a helmet and wrist and kneepads.