Physiotherapy and rehabilitation for fractures - part 1.

Types of fractures

An arm injury is an injury to the bones of the upper limb. In this case, injuries to both the humerus or forearm and the elbow joint are combined.

These include injuries to the hand and fingers. To restore the functionality of a limb after a fracture, you need to undergo a rehabilitation course after a broken arm with the help of special exercises and massage. This article will discuss such rehabilitation exercises after a bone rupture.

There are several types of injuries; I distinguish them depending on the part of the injury, severity, and characteristic features.

When the skin and soft tissues are torn, when a hand injury occurs, the bone is visible, this type of fracture is called open.

A closed bone fracture occurs without visible damage to the skin. This type of injury is indicated when the soft tissue and dermis appear intact, but the damage to the bone appears internally and is held in place by muscles. This arm fracture may or may not be accompanied by displacement.

Based on the presence of complications, injuries are divided into complicated, occurring with bleeding, blood poisoning, and uncomplicated.

Recovery stages:

Physical therapy exercises

For a full life, it is very important to normalize the functions of the hand. This requires the organization of proper rehabilitation after traumatic effects on the hands, aimed at restoring working function.

After the process of removing the cast, patients usually notice that the arm feels as if it is not its own. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that the limb was without movement for a long time, the muscles became weak, and blood flowed poorly into the tissues.

In this case, the bone parts are restored, but the functions of the limb are fully utilized. For complete recovery during rehabilitation, it usually takes 30 to 60 days - see table above.

Rehabilitation complex after plaster removal

Such rehabilitation exercises should be selected for the functionality of the hand during rehabilitation after a wrist fracture with a gradual increase and consisting of active and passive loads, taking into account individual physical characteristics and characteristics of the injury.

For example, the following exercises are recommended after removing a cast from an injured arm:

1. clench your fingers into a fist;
2. hold the palmar part in the “scissors” position;
3. connect the thumb with the index finger in the form of a ring, while relaxing other parts of the upper limbs;
4. keep your palms in the “goat” position;
5. connect the thumb, index, middle and ring fingers in a half-ring, leaving the outermost one aside;
6. fold the limbs of the injured hand into a “victory” sign and pull the upper ones back;
7. clasp the upper parts of the two palms in the “goat” position and stretch in opposite directions;
8. intertwine the inner parts of the brushes and push them away;
9. clench the injured hand into a fist, stick out your index finger and pull it up with the other hand;
10. press each finger in turn on a hard surface;
11. make different shapes from matches;
12. tie shoelaces;
13. fasten the hooks.

You can perform exercises in water: lift small objects from the bottom of the basin, for example, coins or small buttons.

Rehabilitation exercises at home

1. The very first rehabilitation exercises for restoring a hand at home can be considered training with plasticine. Taking ordinary plasticine in your hand, you should try to warm it up by kneading it with your fingers. This exercise should be performed several times a day for a month.
2. The following exercise accelerates the blood and makes it circulate faster through the problem limb. To perform it, you need to sit down, stretch your arms in front of you, then turn your clenched palms to the right and left sides slowly and without jerking.
3. To relieve swelling, you can use an ordinary tennis ball. You just have to throw it at the wall and then try to catch it. When performing, you cannot overload the limb too much.
4. Another exercise to relieve swelling is performed with three small tennis balls, they are placed in the palm of your hand, you must try to move them with your fingers, which will contribute to the correct fusion of bones.

Important ! These actions for rehabilitation after a fracture of the arm in the wrist joint stimulate blood circulation in the limb, promote the outflow of lymph and provide the cells with the necessary nutrients, including collagen, which affects the rate of bone fusion.

What not to do during massage

The massage is aimed at restoring limb mobility. Massage movements should be smooth and moderate, and should not cause pain or discomfort. Excessive movements can injure the ligaments in the joints.

It is necessary to monitor the patient's condition during the massage. Do not allow sudden massage movements or apply great force, especially at the fracture site. Sudden movements can cause muscle spasm and tension, which can lead to a re-fracture. This is especially dangerous in the case of a displaced fracture.

Recovery after a fracture of the wrist and fingers

When a person falls unsuccessfully and rests on his palm or a tucked hand, he can get a fracture in the bones of the wrist and fingers.

Also, from a direct blow to the fingers, you can get a bone disconnection, which is expressed by swelling, hematoma and severe pain, sometimes the release of bone fragments.

After the fracture has been determined by radiography, in order to ensure complete healing and restoration of the fragments in case of non-splintered damage, the arm should be fixed with a plaster. When a fracture of the arm occurs with displacement of bone fragments, osteosynthesis is performed, that is, fixation is carried out using special metal structures: screws, screws, plates of bone fragments.

With the help of physical therapy during the rehabilitation of the hand after a fracture of the radius, it is possible to rehabilitate the functions of the wrist joint and fine motor skills.

Using a su jok massage ring, you need to treat each injured limb. Such rehabilitation exercises help restore blood flow and stimulate the activity of nerve endings.

If there was an injury to the wrist bone, steps should be taken during rehabilitation to flex and then extend the hand. In this case, you need to combine your palms, your fingers should remain directed towards the top. During rehabilitation, you should tilt your joined palms in different directions, pressing gently but with persistence.

If the fingers are damaged after the process of removing the plaster, they should be developed carefully, bending and unbending each phalanx.

The passive state of the hand can lead to the development of contracture, when the fingers lose the ability to flex and extend.

During rehabilitation, it is recommended to pick small objects such as beads and rosaries with your fingertips. It is interesting and useful to make puzzles. You can play pocket chess.

Attention ! If you have a hand injury, you can work on it even in the presence of dull pain. If acute pain occurs, the activity must be stopped.

For a fracture of the radius, it is recommended to perform the following exercises during rehabilitation:

• It is necessary to ensure the position of the hands, with the palm on the table surface, bringing the fingers together and spreading them, preventing them from being torn off the surface;
• pressing on the table with your fingertips;
• raising your fingers one by one above a horizontal surface to the maximum height;
• rotation with all fingers in turn, trying not to tear them off the surface;
• holding the injured upper limb with the healthy hand, and raising the forearm, holding it for 3-4 seconds.

Each exercise is performed 6 to 12 times until slight pain appears.

Prevention measures

Regular ground chicken egg shells will help saturate the body with calcium.

In addition to the means and methods of treating a fracture, you should pay attention to preventive measures that will help to significantly reduce the likelihood of such negative consequences as loss of functionality of the damaged hand, swelling, pain, and a number of others. In order to prevent the listed pathologies, it is recommended to begin treatment already at the stage of wearing a cast for a radial fracture.

The main measures include:

1. Proper nutrition. The food you eat is the main source of calcium. To compensate for the lack of this substance in the body, it is recommended to increase the amount of calcium-rich foods in the diet. These include, for example, cereals, dairy and fermented milk products, hard cheeses, lettuce, herbs, fresh vegetables and fruits.
2. Consume the optimal amount of fluid. Drinking plenty of fluids, provided there is no tendency to edema, will help speed up metabolic processes and, accordingly, stimulate tissue regeneration processes. In this case, it is advisable to replace the usual black tea and coffee with drinks based on natural fruits and berries, as well as simple clean water.
3. Moderate physical activity. Walking in the fresh air, lightly waving your arms, and other types of physical activity will help improve blood circulation and the flow of oxygen and nutrients to damaged tissues.
4. Taking alternative medicine. As mentioned above, you can regularly consume eggshells to provide the body with calcium. In addition, it is recommended to use products for external use that promote faster tissue healing and eliminate disturbing signs and discomfort.
5. It is also recommended to take medications enriched with vitamin D. This substance is directly involved in the processes of absorption by the body of calcium supplied with the food consumed. Lack of vitamin D is one of the causes of fragility and fragility of bone tissue.

Preventive measures taken in a timely manner will help to significantly reduce the risk of complications and prevent side effects of fractures, which include pain, swelling, inability to bend the wrist or other problems and pathologies.
To summarize the above, it is necessary to emphasize that the rehabilitation process after receiving a fracture of the radius is not limited to the period of wearing a cast, but lasts much longer.
In order to prevent a number of possible complications and quickly return the injured arm to its previous abilities, it is imperative to normalize nutrition, use traditional medicine methods, therapeutic exercises, physiotherapeutic procedures and massage. These measures are especially relevant if, after a fracture of the radius, the hand does not bend. The combined combination of these techniques will significantly shorten the rehabilitation period, quickly restore working capacity and improve the quality of life.

Contraindications

It is impossible to develop the hand after a fracture of the wrist that occurs with displacement, when parts of the bones are close to the vessels through which blood flows or nerves. At the same time, exercise therapy exercises during rehabilitation after a fracture of the hand are prohibited under the following conditions:

• the victim is in shock;
• severe blood loss;
• risk of recurrent bleeding;
• presence of severe pain;
• strongly expressed inflammatory process;
• diseases for which physical activity is prohibited.

If you do not follow these contraindications, this may cause complications.

Use of medications

To facilitate the massage, massage oil is applied to the skin. At the same time, the massage therapist’s hand glides better and does not injure the patient’s skin. Essential oils of coniferous trees (fir, pine, cedar, eucalyptus, turpentine) are added to the massage oil.

Oils have a local irritant effect, increase blood flow, improve microcirculation and metabolism in tissues, stimulate recovery, and also have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. Oils of coniferous trees, especially fir, were used in folk medicine for closed injuries, fractures, and joint pain.

Among medications, ointments and gels from the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are widely used. These are diclofenac, ibuprofen, naproxen, ketoprofen and others. They have anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-edematous effects.

Other external agents have a more pronounced anti-edematous effect: troxevasin, indovazin, lyoton, venoruton, venolife and others. This group contains substances that strengthen the walls of blood vessels, reducing the permeability of veins and capillaries. Due to this, elimination of swelling, a cooling and analgesic effect are observed.

There is a group of products that contains bee venom, snake venom, red pepper tincture, collagen and biologically active components. They have a warming effect. They are used during a period when there is no longer significant tissue swelling, active inflammatory process or skin damage. Their action is aimed at improving nutrition and accelerating tissue recovery.

Diet during rehabilitation

In order for the bones to heal well during rehabilitation and become strong, in addition to rehabilitation, you must follow a diet. The diet should contain foods that help stimulate the body's production of its own collagen.

The menu should include:

• vegetables and fruits,
• greens that contain a vitamin-mineral complex,
• It is necessary to provide the body with the microelement calcium,
• eat different types of cabbage (cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage),
• fish,
• dairy products.

In addition to proper nutrition, it is useful to do handicrafts: knitting, embroidery, sewing, sawing or burning.