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Rehabilitation
for a forearm fracture
Strengthening
exercises
Alternative exercises
Rehabilitation after surgery
How long will the effects of my injury last?
When can I return to my sport or activity?
Read more about forearm
fractures
Rehabilitation for a forearm fracture
As an athlete, your number one concern is getting back to full strength
as soon as possible so that you can return to training and competition.
That is why appropriate rehabilitation is extremely important.
When your doctor decides
you are ready, start range-of-motion and strengthening exercises. You
may be referred to a physical therapist to assist you with these exercises.
Remember: Do not return
to sports until your forearm is fully healed. The major objectives of
rehabilitation from a forearm fracture are to improve the elasticity of
the arm and gradually increase pain-free range of motion.
The exercises below
stretch the muscles of the forearm and upper arm. These exercises should
be performed once or twice daily.
- Wrist flexor stretch
Extend affected arm forward with palm up and elbow straight. Place fingers
and palm of opposite hand across palm and fingers of the extended hand
and draw back with it until stretch is felt in the forearm. Hold this
position for 3 to 5 seconds then relax for 3 to 5 seconds. Perform this
exercise 10 times.
- Wrist extensor
stretch
Extend affected arm forward with palm down, elbow straight, and fingers
slightly curled. Grasp the affected side hand with other hand and draw
affected side hand down until stretch is felt in the forearm. Hold this
position from 3 to 5 seconds then relax for 3 to 5 seconds. Perform
this exercise 10 times.
- Pronation/Suppination
stretch
Extend affected arm forward in a hand-shaking position with palm facing
up. Slowly rotate the hand from a palm-up position to a palm-down position.
Hold for 3 to 5 seconds and then rotate back. Perform this exercise
10 times. When you work your way up to strength training, you may use
a small weight while rotating the hand and wrist.
- Tricep stretch
Stand erect with feet at about shoulder width. Raise injured arm at
the shoulder with elbow bent and place the forearm behind the head.
Grasp the injured elbow with opposite hand and draw it toward the center
of the body until stretch is felt. Hold this position for 3 to 5 seconds,
then relax for 3 to 5 seconds. Perform this exercise 10 times.
- Bicep stretch
Stand erect with arms raised to shoulder height and palms up. Press
arms backward until stretch is felt. Hold this position for 3 to 5 seconds,
then relax for 3 to 5 seconds. Perform this exercise 10 times. The bicep
is stretched by this exercise as well as the muscles of the shoulder
and upper chest.
Strengthening exercises
The following exercises develop strength of the muscles of the forearm
and upper arm. To maintain symmetry of the arms in terms of strength and
appearance, perform these strength exercises with the uninjured arm as
well as the injured arm.
- Wrist extension
Sit in a chair with forearm resting on the end of a table, palm down.
Grasp a light weight dumbbell and raise the weight up as high as possible
while maintaining contact with the table top. Hold this position for
3 to 5 seconds. Relax for 3 to 5 seconds. Repeat this exercise 5 to
10 times. Substitute a heavier dumbbell as strength increases.
- Arm curls
Either standing or sitting, grasp a two- to four-pound dumbbell in one
hand. With palm up, flex elbow and draw the dumbbell up to the same
side shoulder while maintaining erect posture. Do not bend at the waist
or swing the dumbbell. Lower dumbbell slowly and with control to the
starting position. Repeat this exercise 10 times. Use a heavier dumbbell
as strength increases.
The following exercises
may aid in restoring strength and range of motion to the hand, especially
in cases where immobilization of the fingers and/or thumb is required.
- Ball squeeze
Place a tennis ball or equivalent in the palm of the injured arm and
squeeze as forcefully as pain permits for five seconds. Slowly relax
the hand. Rest for five seconds. Repeat 10 times at least three times
a day. Generally, the more often the sequence can be repeated in a day,
the better. From day to day, pain should subside until the point where
the exercise can be done without pain.
- Finger extension
Place hand, palm forward, on a wall or other flat surface. Press the
palm toward the flat surface as fully as pain permits and hold for five
seconds. Return to starting position and rest for five seconds. Repeat
this sequence 10 times at least three times a day. Generally, the more
often the sequence can be repeated in a day, the better. From day to
day, pain should subside until the point where the exercise can be done
without pain.
- Thumb extension
While seated, place the elbow of the injured-side arm on the same-side
thigh with the elbow at a right angle and fingers extended. Grasp the
injured arm's thumb with the forefinger of the opposite hand. Gently
draw back on the thumb, stopping at the point of pain. Hold the thumb
in this position for 10 seconds, then release and rest for 10 seconds.
Do this sequence five times, three times per day. You should be able
to draw the injured thumb back a bit further with each day.
- Thumb flexion
While seated, place the elbow of the injured-side arm on the same-side
thigh with the elbow at a right angle and fingers extended. Move the
injured thumb inward so that the end of the thumb is brought as closely
as first pain permits to the base of the small finger of the same hand.
Hold this position for 10 seconds, then relax the injured thumb for
five seconds. Perform this sequence 10 times, three times a day. From
day to day it should be possible to press the injured thumb closer to
the base of the same-side small finger. If not, see your doctor for
advice.
Alternative exercises
During the period when normal training should be avoided, alternative
exercises may be used. These activities should not require any actions
that create or intensify pain at the site of injury. They include:
Rehabilitation
after surgery
Keep in mind that if your forearm fracture requires surgery, the soft
tissue needs time to heal before exercise can begin.
A physical therapy
program usually begins with range-of-motion and resistive exercises, then
incorporates power, aerobic and muscular endurance, flexibility, and coordination
drills.
Finally, patients
develop speed and agility through sport-specific exercise routines.
The ultimate goal
of surgery for a forearm fracture is to put the pieces of bone together
so that they heal themselves. This will help provide dynamic stability
while maintaining full range of motion, so that athletes can return to
competitive or recreational sports. Progress is assessed by the patient's
perception of how stable the wrist feels and by comparing the strength
and stability of the injured and uninjured arms.
How long will the
effects of my injury last?
It usually takes 8 to 10 weeks for a forearm fracture to heal. You may
safely return to your sport or activity when the bones are healed and
you have full strength and range of motion in the injured arm compared
to the uninjured arm.
When can I return
to my sport or activity?
Some may be ready for full participation in eight weeks, others not for
four months or more. Of course, time for return to activity is much longer
if surgery is necessary.
Remember: The goal
of rehabilitation is to return you to your sport or activity as soon as
is safely possible. If you return too soon you may worsen your injury,
which could lead to permanent damage. Everyone recovers from injury at
a different rate. Return to your activity is determined by how soon your
forearm fracture recovers, not by how many days or weeks it has been since
your injury occurred.
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