Aquatic exercise boosts recovery from

Fractures (Broken Bones)


A fracture is a broken bone. A bone may be completely fractured or partially fractured in any number of ways (crosswise, lengthwise, in multiple pieces).

Fractures take several weeks to several months to heal, depending on the extent of the injury.

Treatment usually entails immobilisation of the fracture and any associated joints in casts or braces.

Some fractures will require surgical intervention and the use of metal pins & plates to ensure correct positioning to aid healing and improve outcome.

Even after your cast or brace is removed, you may need to continue limiting your movement or level of weight bearing until the bone is solid enough for normal activity.

During your recovery you will likely lose muscle strength in the injured area. With time, specific exercises will help you restore muscle strength, joint motion, and flexibility.

Plaster Cast:
Aquatic Therapy is possible with a plaster cast. We stock Buddy© waterproof coverings which allow for complete submersion of your plaster cast (see video below).

What are the benefits of hydrotherapy after a fracture?

  • Buoyancy in water relieves body weight, allowing for easier walking and functional movements such as squatting, lunging or step up’s. Upper limb movement may also be aided in the same way.
  • The hydrostatic pressure of the water has positive effects on reducing swelling which in turn helps regain more range of motion and reduces pain.
  • Further positive influences on pain regulation are due to the relaxation effect of warm water and suppression of the sympathetic nervous system associated with water submersion.
  • The sensory input of the water can also increase body position sense enabling improved feelings of balance and confidence.
  • Through increased confidence and reduced pain patients are able to move more freely, which often leads them to report reduced fear and anxiety about their injury. This has a feed forward effect where future behaviours and movements over the early stages of recovery will greatly determine long term outcome.

"It has now been 225 days since I was knocked off my bike, suffering a transverse/comminuted fracture of my right distal femur (that big bone in your leg, snapped in half just above the knee, with a couple of extra bits floating around). Modern surgical methods (installation of an intramedullary nail) meant that the bone could knit itself back together, but coming out of surgery, I was very worried that my cycling career was effectively over.  I was encouraged to undertake a course of pool-based hydrotherapy by my land-based physio."

"The rehabilitation plans prepared by Aqua-Physio and my land-based physio complemented each other perfectly and I am very pleased to confirm that the team were instrumental to what has become nearly a 100% recovery. Being in the pool meant that I could preserve range of motion and flexibility at a time when pain would have made similar exercises under gravity impossible; and later on when I could up the intensity of my workouts--keeping my CV fitness reasonably high--without compromising my recovery. The sessions also were key to keeping up my morale: after the inevitable bad weeks, sessions in the pool made me feel like an athlete again." 

"By the numbers, my cycling FTP is now back (if not slightly above) where it was on the day before the crash, and my 5K times are steadily trending down when I thought I'd never be able to run properly again. I even managed to spend 9 days on the slopes (so far) this year less than seven months after suffering the "big break".  I am very happy to recommend Aquaphysio to any athlete looking to come back from injury, because it can be done. All the best"

DS

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Here is a video of a patient recovering in the pool after a femoral (thigh bone) fracture 

 

 

 

 

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