An arm fracture is one of the most common injuries and often causes swelling. Edema is formed due to damage to the circulatory system and metabolic disorders in tissues and is an accumulation of fluids in the injured area. Fingers, shoulder area, and radius may be affected. Medicines are used to relieve swelling. Massage procedures, physiotherapy, and exercise therapy are also considered effective. Many doctors prescribe traditional medicine. They make compresses, baths, applications, use ointments and tinctures.
Most often, the swelling goes away on its own and quite quickly, but in some cases, due to complications, this process may be delayed. Stagnant processes in the damaged area and tissue nutritional disturbances may occur, which leads to the development of pathologies.
Cause of swelling after fracture
Tissue swelling occurs as a result of damage to certain areas of the circulatory system. Because of this, metabolism is disrupted, and the lymphatic fluid that accumulates around the injury is not removed in a timely manner.
The main reasons why fractures are accompanied by swelling include:
- Poor circulation in the arm due to injury;
- Constant compression of tissues with a tight bandage or bandage;
- Pressure and rupture of arterial or venous vessels by a broken bone.
The main cause of swelling in fractures is poor circulation in the arm as a result of injury.
When swelling occurs, muscle activity in the injured arm decreases. In this case, the hand quickly gets tired even with a slight load on the muscles. This pathology also slows down the process of restoration of limb function.
How to relieve swelling after a broken arm
More often, when a hand fracture occurs, the radial zone or forearm is affected. The swelling of these bones increases if you wear jewelry or watches on your hand. Therefore, it is not recommended to wear jewelry and watches after an injury and during the recovery period of a limb. It is also important to avoid clothes that make your hands shake.
Measures to eliminate swelling from the tissues are carried out immediately after removing the plaster cast. For this the following can be used:
- Special medications in the form of ointments and gels;
- Massage;
- Physiotherapeutic procedures;
- Physical therapy classes.
Exercises should be carried out immediately after removing the plaster cast.
Edema can also be treated using traditional medicine.
Swelling after a fracture also goes away on its own. However, this process takes a long time. And given the long-term lack of joint mobility, delay in this process can lead to complications.
Anti-edema medications
You can relieve hand swelling after a fracture using special medications. All of them are divided into:
- Cooling;
- Warming.
The ingredients included in the product provide vasodilation and also accelerate blood circulation in the tissues. This relieves pain and improves metabolism, allowing excess fluid to be effectively eliminated. In addition, these drugs affect the condition of tissues, accelerating the process of their regeneration.
Most often, swelling is relieved with the following drugs:
- Hepargin ointment. It improves blood circulation, provides pain relief, relieves swelling and prevents the formation of blood clots. Analogue of Laventa, Trombless, Lyoton;
- Troxevasin. It rarely causes side effects. Contraindication for use is only pregnancy in the first trimester;
- Indovazin. An anti-inflammatory agent that improves blood circulation and accelerates tissue regeneration;
- Lyoton. This is an analogue of Hepargin ointment, but has a higher concentration of the active substance.
Most often, swelling is relieved by Troxevasin.
For treatment, the ointment is applied in a thin layer to the swollen area of the arm, while removing 1-2 cm of healthy tissue. The ointment should be gently rubbed into the skin until completely absorbed. Usually 1-2 grams of product is enough for a one-time treatment on a large area of skin.
Only a doctor can prescribe the drug and the regimen for its use. All possible contraindications are taken into account, such as: also the general health condition of the patient. Do not use the drug on wounds, rashes and other skin rashes.
Swelling due to a broken arm: massage
Treatment can only be carried out by a qualified specialist. During the procedures, the damaged areas are gently rubbed, which helps to increase blood circulation and stimulate the regeneration of tissues and nerve fibers.
Massage is one of the ways to reduce swelling in a broken arm.
To achieve a positive result, treatment should be carried out in stages. Typically the therapy lasts from 15 to 20 massage sessions. At the same time, after the swelling disappears, the procedure allows you to quickly restore the motor function of the hand.
Swelling due to arm fracture: physiotherapy
Physiotherapeutic procedures not only relieve swelling of the injured limb, but also help to quickly restore its functionality. Treatment includes:
- Exposure to ultraviolet rays. The rays penetrate deep into the tissues and improve blood circulation, thereby speeding up metabolism and accelerating regeneration;
- Quartz processing. Damaged areas are irradiated with rays of quartz lamps for 30-150 seconds in ascending order. They help stop the inflammatory process and reduce pain. Quartz therapy can also improve tissue regeneration;
- Electrophoresis. Small electrical shocks are applied to the swollen areas, stimulating nerve endings and tissue regeneration;
- Mud wrap. It improves the general condition of tissues and helps speed up metabolism.
To achieve a positive effect, it is necessary to undergo a treatment course consisting of more than 5 procedures.
Swelling due to a broken arm: physical therapy
The therapy consists of various exercises that place physical stress on the injured arm. Physical therapy exercises for recovery from upper limb injuries include:
- Exercises with an expander on the elbow or wrist. The type of dilation device depends on the nature of the injury;
- Roll a ball or small objects with your hand;
- Gradually bend and stretch your joints with resistance.
This procedure not only relieves swelling of the limbs, but also helps restore motor functions. However, only the doctor decides what exercises can be performed for swelling.
Removing edema using traditional methods
If the arm is very swollen after a fracture, you can also cope with the pathology with the help of traditional medicine. These methods are very effective and in most cases have no obvious contraindications.
The course of treatment includes the following procedures:
- Application of compresses;
- Rubbing the damaged area;
- Bathrooms.
The most effective recipes for eliminating swelling after arm fractures include:
- Compresses. More than 3 types of herbs are used for preparation. You can use chamomile, calendula flowers, oak bark, a series of herbs, juniper leaves, quinoa grass, as well as essential oils of fir, pine and cedar. All selected dry plants are taken in equal proportions and mixed, and at the end of preparing the decoction for the compress, essential oils are added. Pour 2 tablespoons of herbal mixture into 300 ml of boiling water. The broth is simmered over low heat for 5 minutes, and after removing from the heat, 10 minutes remain. Strain the warm broth and add 2 drops of essential oil. The liquid is then soaked in cotton wool and applied to the swollen area of skin. A piece of thick cellophane is placed on the cotton wool. A piece of cotton cloth is placed on the compress. After hand wrapping the wool scarf or scarf. The compress should be kept for 2 hours. Can be used every day at night. The duration of treatment is 1 week.
- For grinding prepared tinctures with alcohol or water. When drinking alcohol, medicinal plants are added directly to it and infused for 1-1.5 weeks. Tinctures with water are prepared in a few hours. The main medicinal ingredients are wormwood, honey and aloe juice. Add 2 tablespoons of dried wormwood to 200 ml of boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Then remove the broth from the heat, leave for 15 minutes and filter. Add the juice of 3 medium aloe leaves and 1 tablespoon of honey to the decoction. The liquid should be mixed thoroughly and rubbed into damaged tissue twice a day. The treatment lasts 5-7 days. Essential oils of coniferous trees and eucalyptus are used to prepare the bath. You can simply add 5 drops of essential oils to an appropriate amount of warm water. You can also add a decoction of medicinal plants to the bath, from which compresses are prepared. Baths are taken for 15 minutes every day. Duration of treatment is 1.5-2 weeks.
- Moreover, if after a fracture the arm is swollen for a long time, it is recommended to take medicinal baths with a high concentration of sea salt and relax in salt baths.
With prolonged restriction of mobility and proper nutrition of tissues, complications that arise against the background of edema may develop:
Treatment of hand injuries
Treatment tactics for hand injuries are selected individually, depending on the degree of damage. Closed soft tissue injuries are treated on an outpatient basis using special tight bandages that help with sprains and joint damage. Additionally, it is recommended to use warm compresses, but their use is prohibited in the first three days after injury (due to the risk of infection and bleeding).
To reduce pain, local agents with anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties are used. Cold is applied for 2-3 days, and then heat compresses with medical alcohol can be used. It is allowed to apply warming ointments to injured tissues to quickly resolve bruises and reduce pain.
If joints and bones are damaged, immobilizing and plaster bandages are used for a period of two weeks. Physiotherapeutic treatment, which includes various procedures: UHF, electrophoresis using a 10% calcium chloride solution or 0.5% novocaine, diadynamic currents, has a good therapeutic effect for hand injuries.
Patients with injuries to the soft and hard tissues of the hand need to be examined by a qualified specialist. As a rule, it is enough to follow the general recommendations of a traumatologist in order to quickly recover. It is necessary to limit physical activity for the first 2 weeks and protect the injured hand from negative influences from the outside. The patient is prescribed cold, rest and elevated position of the limb. Often, for injuries, compression is used with elastic bandages, elastic bandages or splints. The first day the arm should be in an elevated position to ensure effective lymph circulation and prevent the occurrence of edema.
If using a plaster cast, it is necessary to inspect the skin around the cast daily in order to promptly detect areas of inflammation or discoloration of the tissue. If you notice bluishness of the skin, you should seek medical help to restore normal blood supply to the tissues. If areas of tissue with signs of an inflammatory reaction are detected, it is recommended to use special lotions with anti-inflammatory and moisturizing effects.
Patients who suspect that they have a dislocated hand should urgently consult a traumatologist. The doctor will realign the hand after high-quality anesthesia, and then fix the joint from the elbow to the base of the fingers with a plaster splint. If, even after reduction, the doctor determines that the joint is unstable, additional fixation with Kirschner wires will have to be used. If the median nerve is compressed, surgery is required.
Possible complications
Limitation of limb mobility;
- Muscle wasting, in which muscle tissue weakens and thins. This leads to constant fatigue of the hand, as well as weakening of the limb, making it impossible to hold even light objects;
- Necrosis of bone tissue. This happens due to lack of nutrition. The pathology is accompanied by constant pain in the limb and limitation of movements. As the process continues, the damaged bone is completely destroyed and begins to rot. This process can lead to gangrene and amputation of the arm or parts of it.
- If the swelling and pain in a broken arm is ignored for a long time, it becomes much more difficult, and sometimes even impossible, to return the limb to full movement.
Indications for removal of fixing structures
On the one hand, removal is an operation, but on the other hand, a foreign body can cause unwanted reactions in the body. The structure is installed for the time during which the bones are fused. The fact of fusion is confirmed by an x-ray. The treatment method involves removing metal structures after a fracture so that the likelihood of developing deforming osteoarthritis is minimal.