What is a fracture and how to handle it?

A fracture, also known as a broken bone, can happen in multiple ways during sports. It may occur as a stress fracture from overtraining or a complete break caused by quick stops, awkward landings, or collisions. It is important to seek care and rehabilitation for a full recovery. 

When could you suspect a fracture?

Some may be obvious and require care immediately, while in other cases, it may be difficult to realize you may have a fracture. Here are some potential symptoms to be aware of:

• Swelling and bruising

• Sharp pain with weight bearing 

• Inability to move the limb

• Visible malformation 

• In the case of a stress fracture, increased pain with activity and improvements when at rest

Next Steps

• If a fracture is suspected, seek immediate care for proper diagnosis.

• Once immediate care has been completed and stabilization has occurred, then rehabilitation care becomes integral for recovery.

• At Fine Tuned Health and Performance, the goal will be to manage swelling and follow physician instructions regarding activity restrictions.

• As healing progresses, using our conservative management, we will guide the patient through range of motion, rebuilding strength, and with time, functional movement patterns to return to sport.