Rehabilitation after a hip fracture

A fracture of the femoral neck is a dangerous and rather complex injury that can be received not only by a person who is in old age, when the bones lose their strength, but also by young people who are actively involved in extreme, dangerous sports. At risk are also those people who use a variety of steroid drugs. The fact is that such drugs have a negative impact on the level of strength of bone tissue in the human body.

Reference! A hip fracture is a fairly common injury that most often occurs in people of advanced age. According to official statistics, in most cases, women of advanced age suffer from injuries of this type. Based on the severity, as well as the duration of treatment, after such a fracture, a person must undergo a course of rehabilitation, due to which the process of complete or partial recovery of the body will be significantly accelerated.

Signs of a fracture

Like other types of fractures, such an injury is accompanied by the occurrence of very strong pain. Their localization occurs in the groin area, and the sensation of pain begins to increase greatly if a person lightly taps on the heel of the injured limb. However, it should be noted that even the appearance of minor, tolerable pain is an alarming sign that cannot be ignored. Cases have been recorded when a person, after a fracture of the femoral neck, was able to move for several hours, or even days, on his own, without anyone's help. Symptoms of such a fracture include:

1. Visual shortening of the injured limb. It is explained by the fact that with damage of this type, the muscles in the thigh region begin to contract sharply, which causes the leg to be shortened by about 1 cm.
2. Turning the foot outward.
3. Inability to raise the leg in a supine position. In extreme cases, the injured limb, in the prone position, can only be slightly bent.
4. The impossibility of independent movement, the occurrence of severe pain in the region of the hip joint.

Hip fracture is one of the most severe injuries. In the absence of treatment and rehabilitation measures, such an injury can cause serious consequences, up to a complete or partial impairment of a person’s motor function.

Important! The final diagnosis can only be established by the attending physician. If a person has the slightest symptoms, or suspicions of such an injury, then it is urgent to seek help from a hospital. In some cases, with such a fracture, the pain that occurs against its background is quite tolerable for a person (for example, when a so-called impacted fracture appears). Therefore, quite often in such cases, a person does not seek specialized help from a medical institution, mistakenly believing that he received only a minor bruise.

In the absence or untimely treatment, a person may develop inflammation or suppuration near the damaged area. Also, such injuries, in the absence of their full treatment, can cause damage to blood vessels by fragments from a damaged bone, lead to bone necrosis and other health-threatening complications.

Sequelae of a hip fracture

The rehabilitation process after a hip fracture usually takes 6 months or more. As a result of forced immobility, as well as the inability to take care of themselves, some people who have experienced trauma of this nature begin to suffer the so-called mental health. Quite often, people after such fractures suffer from depression or they develop neuroses.

Prolonged immobility and prolonged bed rest, necessary for treatment, also adversely affect the physical health of a person. As a result of prolonged immobility, he develops bedsores, intestinal atony, and venous congestion. In addition, in the absence of stress, the muscles begin to gradually atrophy. Therefore, even after successful treatment, a person is not able to instantly return to his usual, everyday life. In the truest sense of the word, he has to learn anew, to control his body.

On a note! In order to quickly bring the body back to normal, restore the ability to move independently and prevent the occurrence of serious complications, rehabilitation measures after a hip fracture should begin immediately after the operation. To carry out rehabilitation measures, one should not expect complete fusion of the bones and remain idle for such a long period of time.

Complex of rehabilitation measures

To speed up the recovery process after receiving such an injury as a hip fracture, a person needs to undergo a complex of various rehabilitation measures. At the same time, rehabilitation should be started as early as possible, while the approach to its implementation should be aimed at the comprehensive restoration of the human body.

Unfortunately, in state medical institutions, there is very little emphasis on rehabilitation measures after a hip fracture. This is due to the lack of necessary specialists who have the skills to conduct such a range of therapy, as well as specialized equipment and insufficient funding. Therefore, in such cases, for rehabilitation, a large number of patients seek qualified assistance in special institutions called rehabilitation centers.

It should be noted that the complex of rehabilitation measures for each person is compiled individually. It includes activities such as:

1. Anesthesia. When recovering from fractures, as well as after operations, the patient experiences severe pain. A successful course of rehabilitation provides for the relief and elimination of pain in a person. For these purposes, local anesthesia is used, as well as painkillers.
2. Mechanotherapy. It is a complex of physical exercises that are performed by the patient using specially designed devices or devices. As a rule, such devices are used to restore the motor function of the body and develop joints.
3. Physiotherapy. They are one of the most important components in the rehabilitation. Thanks to its implementation, pain, swelling and infection are eliminated. It also significantly accelerates the healing process of postoperative wounds and damaged bones. Thanks to physiotherapy, it is possible to avoid complications such as muscle atrophy, the appearance of bedsores or contractures.
4. Massage. In order to maintain a normal level of blood circulation inside the body and maintain muscle tissue in a normal tone, it is recommended, as a rehabilitation, to also use special therapeutic massages. Thanks to massage, it is possible to prevent the patient from developing bedsores, osteoporosis, and also atrophy of muscle tissues.
5. exercise therapy. For quick recovery, special therapeutic exercises are also used. The patient is assigned to perform special physical (motor) and breathing exercises.
6. Diet therapy. Quite often, patients who survive a hip fracture suffer from lack of appetite. Therefore, a special diet is being developed for them, which involves the use of products that improve digestion, metabolism in the body and are rich in vitamins and calcium.
7. Psychotherapy. Against the background of prolonged immobility, a person may have a variety of problems associated with the physical state of health. For example, quite often, after such injuries, people suffer from depression, so they are credited with visiting a psychotherapist.

At first, during the course of treatment and rehabilitation after a hip fracture, it is strictly forbidden for a person to bend forward at a right angle, raise his knees at the level of the hips. Also in this case, it is forbidden to carry out circular movements with the injured leg, or cross the legs at the ankles.

Where is the best place to go to rehab?

After completing a course of treatment and being discharged from a medical institution, a completely logical question arises: where to undergo rehabilitation and recovery after a hip fracture, at home or in a special rehabilitation center? Quite often, trying to save money, people choose home treatment. In this case, the patient is visited by a nurse and he, under her supervision, performs all the necessary exercises that accelerate the process of recovery of the body.

However, at home, it is almost impossible to carry out a full recovery after a hip fracture after surgery. Therefore, in this case, the recovery period is significantly delayed, and sometimes a person even with difficulty returns to his full-fledged, everyday lifestyle. The course of rehabilitation in special centers after receiving this kind of injury is more expensive than treatment at home. However, such centers are equipped with modern equipment that allows for a variety of exercises in mechano- and physiotherapy. Also, qualified specialists work in such rehabilitation centers. They are able to create an individual recovery program for patients. In addition, in such institutions, a person is provided with qualified psychological assistance and a special diet is developed for him, thanks to which the recovery process of the body is significantly accelerated.

By their type, modern rehabilitation centers, as a rule, are more reminiscent of medical sanatoriums than ordinary hospitals. They are located in the suburbs, where there is no noise, smog. Thanks to such a favorable environment, it is easier for a person to focus on a course of rehabilitation therapy.

In addition, in such centers, in terms of comfort, the rooms are almost in no way inferior to modern hotels. They are equipped with everything that a patient with disabilities may need for a comfortable stay. Also, most of the centers are located near the city, thanks to this, a person can temporarily visit them for a rehabilitation course, while living at home on a permanent basis.

Hip fracture is a fairly serious injury, the treatment of which is a complex long process. An important aspect for a complete recovery after injuries of this type is the correct, comprehensive passage of rehabilitation measures. Thanks to timely rehabilitation, a person can avoid the occurrence of various kinds of complications and return to a full, familiar life much faster.