Select to expand quoteSandman1221 said..
Chronic inflamation can lead to arthritis.
So chronic inflammation is a symptom of arthritis, what I meant to say is that if you keep doing things that inflame the arm, so that it is inflamed frequently, that could result in chronic inflammation and arthritis.
Cautiously in flatwater at 8 1/2 months with a wrist splint .
I started this as when I Googled nothing much came up so in case this comes up for someone else in a similar situation I'll mention my experience.
I tried sailing at the 4.5 month mark. The wrist wasn't hurting to do household chores but only had 30% strength compared to the other and not much arm muscle build up. The hand was very sore the next day ( 9/10 pain trying to turn a light on) but started to come good after a day or so.
I then stuffed it up by deciding to speed up the rehab by doing my own version and really getting into it..I hadn't weeded with that hand or squeezed a ball but I did 30mins weeding them c 30mins whilst a passenger in the car squeezing the ball. I was also pushing through finger pain doing 500gm weights. .Anyway I inflamed the muscles in the arm and it took 6 weeks to settle and manage to get back into rehab.
Strengthwise I'd gone backwards because I'd stopped rehab.
Lesson learnt- they go slowly for a reason! Don't try and speed things up.
After 6 weeks at the 6 month mark I had another go. I was having hand pain doing household tasks and only had 45% strength in the bad wrist/hand. I had managed to do 12kms kayaking and could cycle and bushwalk so I thought I'd give it a go.
I was going out in subplaning conditions with a 7m on my 112ltre which is really too narrow and small to comfortably sail in slop underpowered. A gust hit and my wrist got a big jar 8/10 pain so I went straight back in and decided I wouldn't try again until I could push myself off the floor with it and it had strengthened a bit
So about 6 weeks later 8.5 month mark tried in flatwater in a Seabreeze with the wrist splint. First try was sub planing longboard type sailing. Today I finally overcame my fear of planing and had a ball! Very rusty and I suspect I'll pay for the fun tomorrow with a very sore and swollen hand but on the way back.
Ideally a large floaty board with a little sail in flatwater would make getting back into it easier but I don't have that option.
It's actually amazing how the body comes back if you stick to rehab and wait for it to heal. 
I'm in my 60s so a younger person might heal a bit quicker.
