Recovery after a fracture

Violation of the integrity of any bone of the human body refers to a serious injury. After the patient should be given first aid, plastering and, if necessary, surgical intervention. An integral part is rehabilitation after fractures, which should be carried out immediately after treatment. They will help restore the normal functioning of the damaged area.

Principles of treatment

The principles of fracture treatment are as follows:

1. Urgent Care.
2. Anesthesia. Helps relieve pain, eliminate muscle spasm. This keeps the bone from falling into place.
3. Reduction of displaced fragments. This is necessary for the normal functioning of a limb or other area. Also, the bone remains the same length.
4. Immobility of bone fragments during fusion. This is achieved in three ways.

Fixation method - a fixing bandage is applied to the damaged limb. It can also be used for displaced fractures if the bone fragments can be held in place with a bandage. Currently, it is more rational to use a splint or orthosis. They can be removed while taking a bath, and they also allow air to pass through. However, gypsum is much cheaper.

Existential method - the damaged segment is constantly pulled out using a special apparatus.

Operative method - bone fragments are fastened together with the help of a surgical operation.

5. Restoration of the functioning of the limb. Muscle hypotrophy occurs in the affected area. Also disturbed blood flow and innervation. In the future, this can lead to osteoporosis and muscle atrophy. Therefore, it is important to start developing the injured area immediately after injury.

Recovery stages

There are three stages in the rehabilitation period:

Stage 1 (immobilization) - the limb is immobilized with a plaster or other bandage. This eliminates the appearance of pain and ensures normal bone fusion.

Patients are interested in how long it is necessary to wear a cast. However, the duration of wearing a plaster cast must be considered on a case-by-case basis. It depends on the nature of the fracture. On average, wearing a cast is from one to several months. Now many patients undergo osteosynthesis surgery. It allows you to give the bones an ideal position, which reduces the time spent by the patient in the cast.

Bed rest must also be considered individually for each patient. It can last up to two weeks. A dosed load should be started from the 13th week after the fracture. Finding a broken bone should not be a long time in immobilization. Also, the immobilization period should not be too short. It is important to start rehabilitation measures on time so as not to disrupt the process of bone fusion.

Every injury has comorbidities. In the first days after the fracture, blood vessels increase. They try to deliver nutrients to the damaged area. However, specific changes occur during immobilization. The amount of joint fluid produced decreases, which impairs joint mobility. As a result, after the removal of the plaster cast, the patient exhibits stiffness of the joint and the appearance of contractures.

Stage 2 (post-immobilization) - at this stage, it is required to return the normal mobility of the affected limb, eliminate muscle hypotrophy and normalize metabolic processes. The main principles of rehabilitation are: mechanotherapy, physiotherapy, exercise therapy.

After a long stay in a cast, the limb and nearby muscles become weak.

Muscle hypotrophy is due to the fact that during the pain syndrome they are in constant tension. This is their reflex defense.

Therapeutic exercises help to activate the muscles, as well as improve blood circulation in the affected area. Light exercise can be done even before the cast is removed. They slow down the hypotrophy of muscle tissue, and after removing the plaster, they reduce stiffness. However, at first, do not do active exercises. After a long break, such loads can lead to micro-ruptures of the ligaments.

Excessive loads can cause hemorrhage in the tissue. Therefore, physical activity is necessary for a long and dosed.

Stage 3 (recovery) - is aimed at the complete restoration of movements, as well as at accelerating the healing of damaged tissues. At this stage, you can move on to active exercises.

Medications

Even during the rehabilitation period, drugs should also be used. They contribute to the elimination of pain, as well as tissue regeneration. The following groups of drugs are used for the treatment and recovery after fractures:

1. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
2. Diuretics to relieve swelling.
3. Multivitamin complexes.
4. Calcium preparations.
5. Immunomodulators.
6. Painkillers and warming ointments.
7. Chondroprotectors.

Specific drugs and course of treatment is prescribed by the doctor individually for each patient.

Exercise therapy and massage

The purpose of exercise therapy and massage is to restore the functioning of the damaged area after a fracture. They help improve blood circulation, prevent the development of contractures and muscle wasting. The procedure begins a couple of days after the removal of the plaster.

Physical therapy is based on active and passive exercises. You need to start with passive exercises, which are possible even with a cast. You need to move on to active exercises gradually, they include:

• movements using projectiles for emphasis;
• free movements;
• resistance exercises;
• isometric exercises aimed at activating muscles;
• walking with or without assistive sticks.

Exercise should not cause pain. Therefore, they are performed under the guidance of a specialist. In some cases, patients need to visit a rehabilitation center in order to fully recover.

Massage also brings a good effect in recovery after a fracture. It can be carried out even with gypsum applied. To do this, a hole is drilled in the plaster, and the massage is carried out using a special apparatus. Massage brings the following benefits:

• improves blood circulation;
• strengthens ligaments and muscles;
• eliminates congestion;
• improves venous return.

Massage includes various actions. It can be performed independently by the patient or a specialist. However, there are a number of contraindications in which massage should not be performed:

1. Infectious diseases.
2. Malignant neoplasms.
3. Fracture complicated by inflammation.
4. Skin rashes of various kinds.

The average duration of a massage course is 10 days.

Physiotherapy

The course of physiotherapy should begin immediately after the removal of the cast. Physiotherapy after a fracture eliminates discomfort, and also helps to accelerate the healing of the fracture.

1. UHF - helps to eliminate pain and relieve swelling.
2. Magnetotherapy - reduces pain and promotes tissue regeneration.
3. Amplipulse therapy - normalizes microcirculation, eliminates edema and hematomas.
4. Electrophoresis with painkillers - is necessary to relieve severe pain.
5. UV - provides blood flow to the affected area.

The effectiveness of physiotherapy is quite high. The course and specific methods are determined by the attending physician.

Nutrition

Rehabilitation after a fracture is a rather lengthy process. With a fracture, as with many diseases, you should adhere to a special diet.

The diet should include foods rich in calcium and vitamin D. Fatty, salty, smoked and spicy foods should be excluded. They slow down the removal of fluid from the body and slow down tissue regeneration.

Anyone can have a fracture. During this period, it is necessary not only to comply with the treatment prescribed by the doctor, but also to properly carry out rehabilitation for fractures. Recovery after a fracture is no less important than the treatment itself. After all, it depends on him how effectively the affected area will function after a fracture.