Screws and plates in limbs - can they move?

A chiro has no medical training so you're probably better off getting it checked out rather than taking their word for it.

Maybe some nerve damage and associated sensations ? But yes ask the doc.

Bones move ...so if your ve got plates screwed to it ,yes .
like everything it has to be worn in ..it will feel weird adapting to the new movement too.
like running in a new car motor ,don't run it too hard till it loosens up.

I had a screw come loose after 2 years out from a shoulder operation where the screw was meant o be permanent. Had to have a full operation to resolve. I'd get it checked out by the surgeon and not the chiro.

I have a couple of plastic screws in my shoulder & my long bicep tendon is screwed into my arm [with a plastic screw], not the shoulder blade, as I had frayed the tendon. [got to love MTBing!] about 3 years ago.

According to my shoulder physio, who is world renowned, she believes that long term success is all about each persons individual blood supply in the bones.
Those with good supply heal well. She also feels that if you feel stiffness & soreness after exercise & physio, its a good sign. Anyone who had no pain ended up not healing well in the long term & many reinjured.

The surgeon used plastic screws as eventually the bone grows over it, into it, around it and he said he could if required put another in the same spot.
nigel

Thanks everyone.. yes I just was interested if anyone else had had a similar experience.
The chiro was saying the brain plays funny tricks. It's only happened a few times so I'll mention it to the dr and keep an eye on it. If it happens a lot I'll go and see the specialist again.

Yes I noticed cold days or weather change makes you more aware of them..

Yes brains a bit foggy but think it was only a week or so.
Still have the screw.. glad they knocked me out before putting the drill in.

Syringe some Locktite in there.

I talked to tons of people who needed pins, plates, screws, and wire to hold their bones together.
While it's meant to be a temporary procedure, at least 90% of the people decide to leave them in, if it's not bothering them in their new normal life.
However, it appears a small percentage DO go thru the somewhat easy procedure to remove the metal items. That is the easy part, unless the metal is fully set in the bone, and the bone has fully healed. THEN, it becomes a bit of a problem, as removing the metal wears on the surrounding bone material, taking you back another 6 months in recovery time.
If the metal is removed while swelling still occurs, but not significant swelling, it means the bones are close to 80+ % healed, and removing the hardware is relatively simple, but you need crutch's and sometimes more for a few months, then slowly and carefully working your way back to somewhat normal thru at least a 6 month rehab. This 6 month often becomes a year or more.
It took me over 3 year's after the break to fully move without swelling, so I opted out of the pin removal procedure. My doc told me my leg would be stronger with the pins removed, but I didn't want to go thru another year's recovery time, and I suspected it might have taken longer.
Yes, the pin heads do stick out, as does the corner of the plate, and one some days, you can almost feel the wire, but that's a small price to pay to avoid another year plus of recovery which I really don't believe in.