Post Fracture Rehabilitation

Fractures range from minor cracks in a bone to severe breaks that can displace the bone and pierce the skin. Physiotherapy can promote healing and recovery, and the earlier it’s introduced after immobilization, the better. Physiotherapy starts in the hospital when you start using assistive devices like crutches and slings. The next stage is seeing a physiotherapist to get you moving in ways that strengthen your bones and your muscles.

Your first physio visit for post-fracture rehabilitation will be an evaluation assessment to determine your range of motion, pain, gait, and flexibility. From this, your physiotherapist will determine the best active and passive treatments to overcome the adverse effects of immobilization, such as loss of motion, and improve functional mobility, helping you return to normal more quickly.

What is a fracture?

A fracture is a broken bone that varies in presentation depending on the direction and force causing the break. A linear fracture is a straight break along the long axis of the bone. An oblique fracture is at an angle across the bone, creating a sloped break line. Pathological fractures occur when an underlying disease has already weakened the bone. Spiral fractures are caused by a twisting force, breaking the bone in a spiral pattern.

How are fractures treated?

The first step in treating a fracture is immobilization to stabilize the bone by casting or splinting the affected area.

More severe fractures may require surgery to realign the bones or use metalwork like plates, screws, or rods to provide support and hold the bones in the proper position.

The type of fracture determines the immobilization approach. Stable fractures that haven’t shifted alignment usually only need a cast. Unstable, displaced fractures require surgery before casting or splinting. Open fractures with broken skin need emergency surgery and antibiotics to prevent infection.

Follow-up X-rays monitor healing progress and assist in decisions about when removing casts or other devices is safe. The less a fractured bone moves early on, the more likely it is to heal properly, making physical rehabilitation crucial.

Implications for rehabilitation:

Moving as much as possible is vital after fracture immobilization to rebuild strength and mobility following a loss of flexibility, muscle mass and stamina. It also decreases the risk of complications like blood clots from poor circulation.

Gentle range-of-motion and stretching exercises improve flexibility, while light strength training helps regain muscle mass lost during immobilization, and targeted exercises facilitate using the healing limb in daily tasks.

The physio adjusts activities as the fracture site heals to increase challenge and gradually restore normal function. They may use adjunct therapies like ultrasound, heat/ice, and electrical stimulation to control pain and swelling during rehabilitation sessions. Home exercise programmers reinforce gains made with supervised rehabilitation.

The goal of rehabilitation is to help you maximize your function after a fracture and speed up recovery times.

Physiotherapy as post fracture rehabilitation:

Physiotherapy involves hands-on techniques to promote healing after a fracture. Joint mobilization and manipulation, remedial massage, and extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) are three specific methods that can facilitate recovery.

Joint mobilization and manipulation get the joint and bone moving, achieving movements that are impossible to do alone due to pain.

Remedial massage involves a physiotherapist manipulating the soft tissues around a fracture site – helping improve range of motion problems from prolonged bone immobilization.

We find that remedial massage reduces pain in patients and promotes confidence in using the bone, helping stimulate healing further.

ESWT delivers high-energy sound waves to the injured area through a handheld applicator. These acoustic pulses trigger anti-inflammatory reactions, stimulate cell regeneration, and encourage new blood vessels, speeding up the natural healing cascade. The treatment is never done directly over the fracture site, but adjacent to stimulate circulation. ESWT also overrides pain signals and is non-invasive with very few side effects, enabling patients to benefit early on in rehabilitation.

Importance of physiotherapy in fracture rehabilitation:

Manual therapies like joint mobilization and remedial massage are essential for managing pain, swelling, and muscle tightness following a fracture. Benefits include:

• Restores mobility and range of motion: Physiotherapy helps stretch, strengthen, and mobilize the area around the fracture to improve flexibility and movement, preventing stiffness or contractures from developing.
• Relieves pain and swelling: Physiotherapists use modalities like heat/ice therapy, TENS, ultrasound, etc., to help manage pain and inflammation after a fracture.
• Prevents muscle atrophy: Being immobile for a long time after a fracture can cause significant muscle loss. Physiotherapy provides exercises to rebuild muscle strength.
• Improves stability and weight-bearing: Weight-bearing exercises and balance training help improve the ability to bear weight through the affected limb.
• Faster recovery: Starting physiotherapy soon after the fracture and surgery can significantly speed up the healing and recovery.
• Prevents complications: Regular physiotherapy helps prevent complications like thrombus formation, improper bone healing, and joint stiffness and helps regain pre-injury status faster.
• Psychosocial benefits: Physiotherapy provides encouragement and motivation during the recovery process after an injury. Setting goals aids positive mental health and can make a huge difference in your recovery journey.

How Physiotherapy can help?

We know the frustration of recovery after a fracture. Regaining mobility and strength can feel like an uphill battle. That’s why our experienced physiotherapists use proven techniques to get you back on your feet. We alleviate pain and restore function through joint manipulation, soft tissue massage, and customized exercise plans. Our hands-on approach targets the root of dysfunction, not just the symptoms. We dig deep to relax contracted muscles, mobilize stiff joints, and retrain proper movement patterns. And we don’t stop there we empower you with the knowledge and tools for self-care, preventing re-injury down the road.

Whether it’s a broken wrist or a hip fracture, our physiotherapists have successfully rehabilitated countless patients. With research-backed treatment and unwavering encouragement, we help you regain strength, confidence, and quality of life. Contact us or book online today to start your fracture rehabilitation.

If you have sustained a fracture, and you are looking for relief, contact Spine Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centre (SPTRC) to learn about our post-fracture rehab services.

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