| What We Treat
Fracture Rehabilitation
The bone heals on its own timetable. Everything around it needs rebuilding deliberately.
Overview
What It Is
A healed fracture on an X-ray is not a recovered limb. Immobilisation costs muscle, joint range and confidence rapidly, and none of those return simply because the bone has united. Rehabilitation after fracture is about restoring what the injury and the treatment took away, and it usually needs to continue well past the point at which people are discharged.
Healed Is Not Recovered
A united fracture on X-ray tells you nothing about muscle, joint range or confidence, none of which return on their own.
Symptoms
How It Tends to Feel
These are the features that point towards this diagnosis rather than another:
Stiffness
Often the dominant problem, particularly after immobilisation across a joint.
Muscle Wasting
Visible within weeks, and considerable after prolonged casting.
Swelling
Persisting for months, particularly in the hand, wrist and ankle.
Altered Sensation
Common around the fracture and usually settles.
Fear of Reloading
Very common, and one of the biggest limiters of recovery.
Aching With Weather or Load
Frequently reported, and usually not significant.
Causes & Risk Factors
What Drives It
The usual contributors, in rough order of how often they turn out to matter:
Immobilisation
Necessary for healing, but costly to muscle, joint and bone.
Disuse
Continuing to protect the limb after protection is no longer needed.
Soft Tissue Injury
The tissues around the bone are injured too, and are often what limits recovery.
Underlying Bone Health
A fragility fracture signals a bone health problem that needs addressing in its own right.
How We Can Help You
Treatment & Management
Treatment is built around what the assessment finds, but generally follows this shape:
When to Seek Help
Red Flags — Don’t Ignore These
Most presentations are straightforward. These features are the exceptions, and warrant prompt assessment:
⚠ Seek Medical Advice If You Notice
- Increasing rather than decreasing pain after the initial weeks
- Disproportionate pain with colour, temperature or swelling changes — this may indicate CRPS and is time-critical
- Fever, redness or discharge from a surgical wound
- Numbness, coldness or loss of pulse in the limb — seek emergency care
If any of these apply, contact your GP or seek urgent medical care rather than waiting for a physiotherapy appointment.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
The X-ray says it is healed, so why does it not work properly?
Because bone healing and functional recovery are different processes. Muscle, joint range and confidence all need rebuilding, and none of that happens automatically.
How long until I am back to normal?
Typically several times longer than the immobilisation period. A six-week cast often means three to six months of rehabilitation.
Should I have my bone density checked?
If you fractured from a fall at standing height or less, yes. That is a fragility fracture and it predicts further ones.
Not Sure If This Is What You Have?
An assessment will tell you what is actually going on and what to do about it. I see everyone myself, and you will leave with a plan rather than a leaflet.
Book Your Initial AssessmentThis page is for general information only and isn’t a substitute for individual medical advice. If you’re experiencing any of the warning signs above, contact your GP or seek emergency medical care as appropriate.