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Physical Therapy for Wrist Fracture

Wrist fracture, as the term suggests, is a crack in any of the bones of the wrist. The joint of the wrist is located at the junction of the bones of the forearm and the small bones of the hand. The visible symptoms of a fracture include heavy swelling and disfiguration. You may also experience a great degree of pain, which tends to get worse with even small movements.

  1. Physical Therapy

    • Treatments such as surgery, traction and medicines are normally suggested for a wrist fracture depending on the severity. Physical therapy or physiotherapy is one of the more popular post-operative treatment alternatives. Depending on the location, type and severity of the fracture, the physical therapist decides on a course of treatment whose basic aim is to help restore the fractured bone to its original position through a series of exercises. In most, but not all cases, physical therapy is most effective when carried out after surgery is performed. Some of the physical therapy exercises commonly used for healing fractures of the wrist include wrist flexion, wrist extension and suppination stretches.

    Wrist Flexion and Wrist Extensor Stretch

    • In the wrist flexion method, begin by extending your affected arm out, keeping your palm up and your elbow rigid. Put your opposite hand across your affected hand and pull the hand back until your forearm feels a stretch. Hold the hands in this position for three to five seconds. Then, relax for three to five seconds. Repeat 10 times.

      In the wrist extensor stretch, extend your affected arm outward, with your palm facing down, your fingers slightly curled and your elbow straight. With your hand in this position, use your other hand to grab the affected hand and pull it down until you feel a stretching in your forearm. As with the earlier position, retain this position for three to five seconds, then relax for three to five seconds, and repeat this procedure 10 times.

    Suppination Stretch

    • Also called pronation stretch, this exercise involves extending your injured arm forward as if you were going to shake hands, but keeping your palm facing up instead of sideways like in a normal handshake. From this position, rotate your hand slowly so the palm goes from facing up to facing down. As before, do this for 3 to 5 seconds, then relax for 3 to 5 seconds, and repeat this procedure 10 times.

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