A bone fracture forces the body to take a break. In order for everything to be in order, this pause must last until the bone is truly healed. Starting the sport too soon is dangerous. I will explain in the following article what factors influence the duration of this break and how to resume sport afterward.
There is no comprehensive answer to how long sports can be abandoned after a fracture because it depends heavily on the type and severity of the fracture. For an individual level, the practitioner must decide how long the induced split will repair the joint. Sadly, 100 percent of the time following an injury can not return to exercise, and it may also mean that we have to adjust activities.
Not all fractures are the same.
A large number of fractures heal in a few weeks, allowing a total return to sport.
However, some fractures are complex and require more time to allow a return to sport, and patients may not even be able to return to their original sport fully. A decisive factor is, for example, the proximity of the fracture of a joint, or the possible destruction of a joint surface. Joint fractures are more complex and carry a risk of developing osteoarthritis. Fractures that interfere with the blood supply to neighboring bones, such as can occur with a fracture of the shoulder or the femoral head, or with significant displacement of bone fragments, for example, are also serious. It happens that parts of bones subsequently necrosis, which can lead to sports restrictions. Likewise, a comminuted fracture is more complex than a sharp or spiral fracture of the bone.
Stress fracture is a particular case. It occurs following chronic overuse or circulatory disorders of a diseased bone, and not following an accident. This type of fracture always has a history, the chronic problem of which cannot be resolved quickly. After a stress fracture, patients must accept a longer rehabilitation period than patients with a fracture of healthy bone resulting from shock.
The Bone needs time.
Regardless of the type of treatment, you will feel broken bone healing burning sensation until a broken bone takes time to heal. The healing time is in principle, the same, whether the fracture is immobilized by a cast or operated. The treatment method depends much more on the position of the fracture or the stability. An operation has the advantage of being able to regain certain operating stability more quickly. The patient can, therefore, move a neighboring joint earlier and thus lose less muscle mass during his convalescence.
The bone must be spared and relieved for a few weeks in order to be able to re-weld properly and stably. The doctor determines the duration of convalescence according to the type of fracture and then checks using X-rays whether the treatment has been effective. If this is the case, the patient can begin physiotherapy to exercise mobility in their joints and build muscle. After six weeks of rest, for example, two to three weekly physiotherapy sessions are needed continuously to stimulate muscle consolidation. In nearly 80% of fracture cases, muscle and mobility rehabilitation is possible after ten to twelve weeks. Depending on the extremity affected by the fracture, it is also possible to maintain the mobility and musculature of the unaffected extremities by practicing exercises.
Consolidate Muscles before Working the Condition
It is important not to resume sport until you have consolidated the muscles. Thus, resuming jogging before the fracture has completely healed causes overuse. The risk of a new fracture or failure of the plates and screws used is then high.
If the muscles are consolidated and the doctor and physiotherapist have given their approval, it is possible to resume jogging slowly, preferably on soft ground, starting with short distances and gradually. There are also sports better suited to recovery: after a broken leg, cycling or rowing are suitable for improving physical condition. If swimming is also perfectly suitable, it all depends on the fracture: in the event of a fracture near the knee joint, the breaststroke is contraindicated, while the crawl places less stress on the bone.
At the start of a reconditioning training, it is better to give up intensive training in running or in sports that require frequent stops and starts. For contact sports, it is better to start only when the consolidation of the muscles makes it possible to practice without restriction conventional sports.
The ideal is to stay in constant contact with your doctor and physiotherapist, who will advise you appropriately and tell you when you can start playing a particular sport.
Possibly Change Sport
As I have already mentioned, it is not always possible to regain your full athletic ability after a fracture. Sequelae are possible if the patient continues to practice an unsuitable sport. In the event of a severe abnormality or fracture of a joint, the risk of osteoarthritis is high. Be sure to consult your doctor to determine if the sport you have been playing so far is risky and if you would not be better off trying another one or reducing the intensity of your training.
Complete rest, on the other hand, is often contraindicated, as bone quality is dependent on some activity. Exercise improves the mineral content of bones. Bone quality also influences the healing process and subsequent athletic ability. Besides the age of the patient, possible osteoporosis also plays a role. Taking vitamins or chondroprotective preparations can promote healing.
Your bones are repaired, but you still have pain and uncertainty?
An accident often gives rise to many fears. The aches and pains and the prescribed “rest period” lead to mental relief. Thus, it often happens that the patient continues to spare the affected extremity while the bone is healed. This behavior may be due to possible residual pain or to the patient’s “getting used to” it. Injury to the periosteum or scarring of nearby soft tissue can cause residual pain. A fracture is not limited to a fracture proper, that we repair so that everything is in order. Additional lesions, such as soft tissue injuries or scarring, can also play a role and lead to residual disturbances or uncertainties. In this case, it is useful to consult a sports physiotherapist to analyze the case. It helps the patient to adopt a normal gait. In the presence of troublesome scarring, targeted stretching exercises often yield good results.
Residual pain should never be tacitly accepted or ignored by the patient. He must discuss it with his physiotherapist and his doctor. A careful examination makes it possible to find the causes and possibly to treat them, or to advise the patient to improve his quality of life by changing sport.
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