Paul Hamm’s Recovery Ahead of Schedule

I reported earlier this week that Olympic gold medalist, Paul Hamm, had suffered an injury to one of his hands.  Since then, Hamm has undergone surgery to repair the broken bone.  Originally, it was said that the gymnast could be sidelined for about four weeks which would make it impossible for him to compete in the Olympic trials.  While I’m sure he will still have to skip the trials, I am encouraged by the news that he is already three days ahead in his post-surgery recovery.

“It was exciting from my standpoint. He had little to no swelling,” said Dr. Lawrence Lubbers, the hand specialist treating Hamm. “Our goal was to make a full fist within five days and he was pretty much making a full fist today. That put us three days ahead of schedule, and it’s only two days post-op.”

To combat swelling and expedite the healing process, Hamm is wearing a compressive glove, wearing a custom-made splint and is doing ultrasonic stimulation.  Despite having a plate and nine screws inserted in his hand just days ago, he began physical therapy yesterday.  Dr. Lubbers says that Hamm can return to the gym on Saturday but will be off of equipment for at least four weeks.

I hope Paul doesn’t get overly confident and push himself too hard.  While I know he needs to remain in top shape, the men’s gymnastics events begin in about 10 weeks.  That means he has got to heal well before that time and any overexertion could really set him back.  I hope all goes as planned because I’m really looking forward to watching him compete!

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