A fracture of the ulna is quite rare; more often the radius or both bones are broken. Also, “Montaggi” damage is often observed, which is formed when falling or when trying to parry a blow with a bent arm (as in the movies).
After the bone heals and the cast is removed, it is necessary to develop the arm and return it to full functionality. Our selection of exercises will help you do this quickly and effectively.
My personal recommendation is to contact a specialist in muscle dysfunction or a qualified massage therapist and undergo 2-3 massage sessions to relieve muscle spasms.
Clothes should be loose, it is advisable to remove shoes. Perform all exercises (especially the first days) smoothly and gradually. Remember the important principle: “Endure mild pain, do not allow severe pain.”
Perform these exercises daily for at least 2 weeks.
Stretching exercises
Extension with table
Place your hands on the table, palms down.
Fingers are relaxed, elbows are straight. Gently move your body weight forward until you feel tension in your wrist. Hold for 15 seconds. Repeat 3 times. Do stretching exercises until the pain subsides and your arm gets used to the stress. Then begin strengthening exercises.
Strengthening exercises
Exercise therapy after a fracture of the elbow joint
A set of exercises included in physical therapy is the most common physiotherapeutic technique, which is widely used to restore limb mobility after injuries. Exercises after an elbow fracture are considered an active rehabilitation tool.
Proper physical activity, carefully selected by a professional specialist, will help restore the functioning and mobility of the elbow joint. Exercise therapy is aimed at stabilizing local blood and lymph flow, as well as blocking the process of developing destruction of cartilage tissue.
Improper execution of exercises entails longer rehabilitation and also causes more serious problems. It can provoke:
- deterioration of a person's condition;
- deposition of calcium salts in muscles;
- increased bone deformation, etc.
Mud treatment
Healing mud is a natural formation that contains water, minerals and organic substances. Mud therapy is used in traumatology as a thermal type of procedure. Mineral mud dilates blood vessels, improves blood circulation, nourishes bone tissue, and has an anti-inflammatory and regenerating effect. The method of performing mud therapy is application.
Mineral mud is heated to 42 degrees. The couch is covered with woolen cloth or a blanket, oilcloth is placed on top and a sheet is placed on top. A layer of mud 5 cm thick is applied to the sheet. The patient lies down on the couch, after which he is wrapped in the same materials that were laid on the surface. The session lasts from 20 to 60 minutes. After therapy, the patient takes water procedures and rests for 50 minutes. The course of therapy consists of 15 procedures. Contraindications for mud treatment:
- Infectious diseases accompanied by high body temperature;
- Tuberculosis;
- Atherosclerosis;
- Malignant formations;
- Mental disorders;
- Hypertension;
- Menstrual cycle;
- Cardiovascular pathologies.
Fully smearing the patient with therapeutic mud helps to normalize all processes in the body.
Massage
LS massage is a therapeutic procedure that is one of the components of rehabilitation. Applying massage movements to the area around the elbow promotes faster recovery. A full course of massage, prescribed by the attending physician, increases the rate of healing of connective tissues. In order to understand how to develop an arm after a fracture of the elbow joint correctly and quickly with the help of massage, you should contact a qualified specialist.
Professional massage involves the use of special techniques that are aimed at positive results. First, there is an effect on the muscle area during manipulations on the forearm, which involve relaxing strokes along the arm. Next, the specialist performs a selective massage, which has a gripping effect on the shoulder muscles. Finally, you need to shake your hand.
Massaging the bones after a fracture certainly includes stroking and heating the areas around the damaged area. It is prohibited to directly massage the fracture site after removing the plaster cast. The start of a massage in this area should be preceded by a rehabilitation course to normalize motor ability.
Massage is carried out with the aim of improving blood circulation in the damaged area through reflex action while the drug is stationary. If the deltoid area and the shoulder area are free from immobilization, then it is recommended to perform a suction massage on them. Manual vibration techniques are not recommended. Massaging the area of the pectoralis major muscle and scapula by rubbing and stroking is indicated.
Despite the safety of the procedure, there are some contraindications to its implementation:
- cardiovascular diseases;
- active tuberculosis;
- damage to the skin and suppuration on the elbow;
- skin and blood pathologies;
- elevated temperature and the presence of inflammatory processes in the body.
What is prohibited to do
During rehabilitation (when the plaster cast has already been removed), it is strictly forbidden to do the following:
- Independent physical exercise after an elbow fracture without consulting a doctor;
- Procedures for massaging the elbow at home, which can cause rupture of muscle fibers;
- Exercises that involve significant loads.
All these manipulations must be carried out after the elbow joint is fully restored, that is, when it is already developed.
You can only overload your arm after a certain period of time; rehabilitation time lasts up to 2 months.
The use of incorrect methods for developing the elbow after a fracture can lead to the following complications:
- Swelling in the area of injury;
- Painful sensations;
- Salt deposits;
- A change in the shape of the elbow joint is a deformity.
Diagnostics
The diagnosis is made on the basis of: examination, anamnesis, instrumental diagnostics and tests.
First, the doctor performs a physical examination of the patient to make a preliminary diagnosis. He needs to assess the location of the injury, determine whether there is pain, swelling, hyperthermia, deformation and hematoma. And if symptoms are diagnosed, their severity is assessed. The traumatologist must clarify the circumstances and time of injury, there were similar cases in the past, whether therapy was taken, and if so, what kind.
Functional tests are also required to determine the mobility of the joint. The inability to move in any direction will indicate damage, and its excessive mobility will indicate a complete rupture.
Basic diagnostic methods:
- X-ray examination is informative only in case of a complete rupture.
- MRI will help assess the condition of soft tissues.
- Arthroscopy – by inserting an endoscope, the condition of the injury can be assessed and treatment can be carried out immediately.
- Ultrasound is the most effective option for assessing the condition of the ligamentous apparatus.
To clarify the details of the course of the pathology, the doctor may prescribe: a general blood and urine test, biochemical analysis and rheumatic tests.
The last stage is the third
If, after removing the cast, a person is not initially recommended to perform physical exercises to develop the elbow joints, then the specialist will prescribe courses of physiotherapeutic procedures. These are baths based on mineral mud, paraffin compresses, ozokerite treatment. After completing therapy, the specialist refers the patient to exercise therapy.
One of the main procedures in the physical therapy complex is a visit to the pool. Water activities have a relaxing effect and make the process of doing gymnastics easier. All exercises in water are painless.
Physiotherapeutic activities
Physiotherapy treatment is an important part of rehabilitation measures to restore the elbow joint after a fracture. This therapy promotes rapid recovery of the patient and return to everyday life. Physiotherapy includes the following procedures:
- UHF - the procedure is based on the use of ultra-high frequencies of a magnetic field. Promotes rapid regeneration of damaged skin areas, relieves swelling, improves blood flow and relieves inflammation.
- Magnetic therapy procedures help stimulate the formation of bone calluses, eliminate inflammation and relieve pain. The procedure is scheduled on the 3rd day after applying the plaster.
- Electrophoresis - treatment is based on the delivery of a drug to damaged areas using electrical impulses. Relieves pain and inflammation. The painkiller drug is Novocaine.
- Paraffin therapy is prescribed after swelling and minor pain have subsided. The procedure improves blood circulation in the damaged area and has an antiseptic effect.
- Ultraviolet therapy - penetrating electromagnetic rays have an anti-edematous, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect.
- Darsonvalization - therapy uses alternating current of high frequencies and voltage with minimal force. Accelerates the process of bone fusion, relieves pain and tones the walls of blood vessels.
Nutritional Features
The recovery process of the elbow joint must be accompanied by a proper diet. You should eat foods that contain vitamin C, E and collagen substances. Products containing the above vitamins:
- Poultry meat;
- Sea fish dishes;
- Persimmons, apricots, peaches;
- Buckwheat and oatmeal;
- Vegetables;
- For drinks, it is advisable to consume a decoction of rose hips and black currants.
So, now you know how the elbow joint is developed after its fracture.
Do not forget that all manipulations should be carried out only after agreement with the treating doctor. He is the one who is able to select rehabilitation measures based on a diagnostic examination.
Use of mountain wax
In medicine, mountain wax (ozokerite) is used in the form of warming local compresses and applications. The transferred heat helps improve blood circulation, relieve pain and inflammation. Ozokerite is melted to high temperatures and poured into a cuvette (a rectangular tin container up to 5 cm deep and 20x40 cm in area), after which it is cooled to 50 degrees and applied to the elbow joint.
Mountain wax compress is used using a different technology. A gauze bandage is dipped in heated ozokerite, then squeezed out and wrapped around the damaged elbow. Each procedure lasts no more than 30 minutes, followed by a break of the same amount of time. The course of treatment is 20 procedures.
Signs and symptoms
Most often, the injury occurs due to a blow or fall on the hand. Most often, the symptoms are pronounced, so it is difficult for a person not to notice them. There may be a posterior dislocation of the joint, and this is the most common one. Occurs if a person falls on a straight arm or receives a blow to the elbow area. Anterior dislocation is diagnosed less frequently. It usually appears if there was a blow to the bent elbow.
The doctor can assume this type of injury based on the patient’s complaints. He will conduct an examination and, if necessary, send for an x-ray. Based on the results of the study, it will be possible to confirm the guesses.
Symptoms:
- Intense pain. Often it turns out to be sharp, it is difficult for a person to bend his arm.
- Swelling of tissues. It gradually increases, especially if you do nothing.
- Numbness of the elbow. Sensation in the lower part of the limb may also be lost. This also usually indicates a dislocation.
- Increase in local body temperature. The skin in the damaged area will become hot.
- Weakening of pulsations of arteries in the limbs or complete absence.
If the listed complaints are present, the doctor will examine the hand and suggest a diagnosis. He may notice that the skin tone in the limb area has changed due to poor circulation. There may be a disturbance in the innervation of the hand.
Often the doctor is able to palpate the head of the radius from behind or in front, depending on the type of injury. An x-ray should confirm the fact that it has shifted. In some cases, rupture of the joint capsule may occur.
If an elbow dislocation has been confirmed, recovery will take some time. After starting treatment, the unpleasant symptoms should subside and the person will feel better. The main thing is to consult a doctor in a timely manner.
Causes
The most common reason for the development of post-traumatic contracture is the absence or incorrect alignment of bone fragments after a fracture to ensure better healing. In such cases, the joint is simply not able to fully flex and extend due to the presence of a mechanical obstacle. The result of severe injury is extensive hemorrhage into the joint cavity, as well as a violation of the integrity of the joint capsule. Pathological processes provoke the formation of fibrous adhesions, complicated by the development of an inflammatory process in soft tissues.
Bone crack.
Immobilization contractures are most often caused by fractures. Moreover, the elbow joint is not necessarily injured. Immobilization becomes an important part of the treatment of fractures of the shoulder, forearm, and arm. During immobilization, the elbow is fixed in one position for a long time, which negatively affects the condition of the cartilage tissue and ligamentous-tendon apparatus. Impaired functioning of the elbow is also caused by the following pathologies:
- arthritis occurring against the background of accumulation of purulent exudate in the joint cavity;
- extensive burns;
- deep wounds.
Neurogenic contractures are consequences of injury or progression of brain pathologies. A person cannot bend or straighten the arm at the elbow if the peripheral nerves are damaged. The cause of dysfunction of the joint is congenital anomalies: curvature of the hand, dislocation of the radial head, fusion of the ulna and radius bones. In osteoarthritis, changes in cartilage and bone tissue rarely lead to severe contracture.