- July 23, 2019
- Orthopedics and traumatology
- Smirnova Alexandra
In this article we will look at how to develop a hand after a fracture.
In order for damaged bones to heal faster, it is necessary to engage in physical therapy. It is better to begin rehabilitation immediately, without removing the plaster. This is important to do to avoid muscle atrophy, which occurs due to fractures if the arm is immobile for a long time. It is important to find out in advance how to develop a hand after a fracture.
In order for the work and functions of the injured limb to be restored as quickly as possible, rehabilitation procedures are performed, which are selected by the doctor. This includes exercise therapy in combination with special gymnastics, massage, and medications.
Measures to prevent muscle atrophy during the use of a plaster cast
Many people think that restorative measures for a fracture of the upper limb can only begin after the cast is removed. This opinion is erroneous: it is necessary to begin rehabilitation already on the fourth day after receiving a fracture. Movements can be made with the free part of the arm where there is no bandage.
In order for the bone to heal correctly, in the area of injury, blood must well wash the tissues, supplying them with nutritional ingredients (collagen) and thus removing decay products. Methods for preventing muscle atrophy and improper fusion involve motor activity of the injured limb.
One of the effective methods for restoring the joints of the hand is considered to be rolling Chinese balls in the palms, which are used for meditation. By turning them over in your hands, a person trains his joints, improving blood circulation.
What is the most effective exercise for the hand after a broken hand?
Clinically Relevant Anatomy
Hand bones
The metacarpal bones are long, thin bones that are located between the wrist bones and the phalanges of the fingers.
- Each bone consists of a base, body and head.
- The proximal bases of the metacarpal bones articulate with the carpal bones.
- The distal heads of the metacarpal bones articulate with the proximal phalanges and form the knuckles.
- The 1st metacarpal bone is the thickest and shortest of these bones.
- The 3rd metacarpal bone is distinguished by a styloid process on the lateral side at its base.
- Soft tissues commonly injured in fractures include cartilage, joint capsule, ligaments, and fascia.
- In severe polytrauma, tendons and nerves adjacent to the fracture may also be damaged.
Therapeutic exercise for rehabilitation
When a fracture occurs, the limb is in a cast for about a month, and if it is displaced, it can be longer (although there are known cases of recovery in thirty days). Next, the plaster is replaced with a bandage with a rigid edge. It is necessary to begin performing a set of exercises carefully, when there is no longer acute pain. Circumferential rotation of the wrist with increasing amplitude may be the first active action in rehabilitation. Gymnastics after a displaced fracture of the hand is carried out as follows:
- You need to place your forearm on the table, straighten and bend your wrist. They further move the arm so that it is in a canopy, then continue to perform the exercise in this position.
- The hand is placed on a hard surface. You should smoothly raise your forearm; you cannot use the hand itself. Physical therapy for the hand can be very effective if done correctly.
- Move the arm so that the elbow hangs off the table. With the other hand, they hold the broken limb by the elbow and make the following movements: raise and lower the forearm, and then bend and straighten the wrist joint.
- You need to lean both elbows on the table, clasp your hands and continue to bend and then straighten the limb in the hand.
This complex of therapeutic exercise is prescribed by the doctor as a measure to prevent congestion in the injured limb.
Method of conducting a massage session under a cast
Massage should begin when the fracture line, as well as the entire arm, is in a circular cast or splint. There are practically no contraindications to this. Let's look at the techniques for conducting a massage session under a cast.
This is a light tap on the plaster to create a slight vibration. Also, through small holes in the plaster cast, acupressure of the fracture zone is carried out using special sticks.
It is advisable to knead the arm near the cast, as this relieves swelling and improves blood supply to the limb. Acupressure free massage is also performed with magnetic acupuncture. This gives a good healing effect.
It is necessary to massage the area outside the bandage, namely the shoulder girdle of the arm (scapula and collarbone), the upper thoracic and cervical spine, as well as the healthy arm. To the question “why?” there is only one answer: the vessels and nerves that supply blood and innervate the hand pass through here, so it is very important to influence them.
The techniques of stroking, rubbing, kneading, pressing, and “shading” are used.
Exercises in water
Exercises performed in warm water complement physical therapy. They simultaneously help improve blood circulation and normalize muscle tissue. For the procedure, you need to fill a basin with water at a temperature of thirty-eight degrees, after which you immerse your hand above the elbow. It is necessary to perform rotational movements, and in addition, flexion with extension, squeezing objects. Such movements will certainly help the hand quickly return to its original shape before the resulting fracture. And if you add two tablespoons of salt to the solution, it will benefit not only the muscles, but also the joints. Now let's look at a more complicated gymnastic complex.
A complex set of therapeutic exercises
When the doctor allows you to move on to stronger loads, then you can perform the following therapeutic set of exercises for the hand after a fracture of the hand:
- Spread your fingers apart and connect them together. They do this twenty times throughout the day.
- Take a gymnastic stick, or you can take any other one that is at hand, and rotate it in your hands, at the same time squeezing and unclenching your fingers. Gradually increase the pace and time of training.
- Squeeze a rubber expander in your hand. This simple exercise will help strengthen your injured arm.
- They clench their fist so that the thumb is grabbed by the others, and then lies on top of them. You need to do this exercise for fifteen minutes a day.
- Place your palms together and rotate them back and forth. At first the action is performed very slowly, and then the speed is increased.
- Dumbbells are an option for rehabilitation already at the last stage, when there are no risks of complications. It is better to start with a weight weighing one kilogram. Flexion along with extension of the hand using dumbbells will restore elasticity and tone to the muscles and strengthen the joints well.
Application of ointments
Ointments with comfrey, regardless of whether they are industrially produced or made independently, can also have a beneficial effect on the hand after a fracture. In order to prepare this remedy, you need to grind the dry grass and roots of this plant into powder, then mix everything with oil in the proportion of one spoon to half a glass of oil. Then the product is placed in a water bath for one hour and cooled. You need to apply the prepared ointment to the damaged area twice a day and rub in with light massaging movements. Next, we will consider the main rehabilitation methods.
Basic principles of rehabilitation for a fractured hand
Whatever the level of injury to bone tissue, the rehabilitation process consists of restoring the functioning of the damaged limbs. At this stage the following tasks need to be solved:
- Eliminate congestion.
- Restore muscle tone and joint elasticity.
- Regain mobility.
In order to cope with the assigned tasks, it is necessary to carry out a whole range of activities, which include massage in combination with physical therapy and physiotherapy. It is necessary to include in your daily diet foods that contain the necessary vitamins and minerals for bone tissue restoration, or drink a balanced nutritional complex.
You can do the rubbing at home yourself; the most effective remedy for restoring blood supply is cedar oil. As for the set of exercises, in each case it is selected by a specialist depending on the type of fracture and its location. Before therapeutic exercises, it is advisable to perform self-massage to prepare the muscles. Professional massage therapists help develop the limb in the most effective way, but at home you will have to do this yourself.
Self-massage technique
Self-massage of the wrist joint after a fracture is performed by the patient himself, with a healthy hand. It is carried out from the bottom up, that is, from the fingertips to the shoulder girdle area. Self-massage begins with stroking, then rubbing occurs and ends with stroking again.
Massage all surfaces of the injured area: external, internal and lateral. Session duration is 15-30 minutes, daily.
During self-massage, the patient can use massagers made of wood, jasper, jade, tourmaline, and metals. For a better self-massage procedure, you can use baby or massage soap with the addition of essential and aromatic oils. These supplements have a wound-healing and anti-inflammatory effect. To relieve tissue swelling, special heparin-based ointments are used.
Self-massage is performed by the patient in a comfortable home environment, at any convenient time. Taking into account his own feelings, the patient himself chooses the intensity and force of pressure during the session.
Consequences of a fracture and prevention
Bones, as a rule, grow together in people for quite a long time. Usually, after this, the function of the damaged limb is always impaired, since the muscles become very weak and the joints move much worse. Measures to prevent this condition include gymnastics along with exercise therapy, massage, and medications (ointments, creams). A repeated prophylactic course after the fracture has healed should be taken six months later. During this time, it is possible that complications may arise, especially if the person had a displaced fracture.
You need to carefully monitor your health. When pain occurs and it becomes difficult to move the hand, immediate contact with a doctor will certainly save the patient from further problems. Any exercises must be performed under the strict supervision of a treating specialist. They are usually stopped when swelling and pain appear. The doctor will find out the cause of this condition, and then he will advise how rehabilitation procedures should be properly organized in the future.
Thus, a fracture of the hand often occurs due to a sharp fall of a person onto the palm or as a result of strong blows from any object. To ensure that the bones heal properly, a plaster cast is applied to the damaged area. After it is removed, the arm must be developed in order to restore elasticity to the tendons.
We looked at how to develop a hand after a fracture.
Characteristics/Clinical picture
5th metacarpal fracture
Patients with metacarpal fractures typically have:
- Pain.
- Edema.
- Hematoma.
- Limitation of mobility.
- Deformation. Joint asymmetry may be observed; it may also appear that the joint is missing.
- Displacement of the fingers may also be noted.
- A fracture of the metacarpal head is associated with axial compression of the extended finger, which causes severe discomfort.
- When the base of the metacarpal bone is fractured, wrist movements or longitudinal compression increase pain.
- Any angulation of the ACC can lead to pseudoclaw deformity.