Why Prompt Care for Fractures Is Key

Fracture is another word for a break. If you have a fracture, one of your bones has a crack or break in it due to a force that’s greater than the bone can resist. Fractures are common and happen for any number of reasons, such as when you fall, are involved in an auto accident, or sustain an injury while playing sports.

Common places for fractures are your hip, wrist, and ankle. Some of the telltale symptoms of a bone fracture are:

• Pain
• Restricted movement
• Swelling
• Protruding bone
• Inability to put pressure on the area
• Dizziness

Here, the skilled doctors at Crescent City Orthopedics in Metairie, Louisiana, offer some of the key reasons you should seek immediate care for a broken bone.

Wound care

Some fractures protrude and break through your skin, causing an open wound and bleeding. When setting the bone, our team cleans the area and closes the wound to prevent infection.

Pain relief

The moment following a break often causes a rush of adrenaline that may override your pain for a short time or even put you in shock, but immense pain usually accompanies a bone break.  In general, there are three stages of pain from a fracture:

• Acute: immediate and intense pain at the time of the break
• Sub-acute: lingering pain while the soft tissues and bone heal
• Chronic: enduring pain long after the bone is healed

The first things our compassionate Crescent City Orthopedics doctors do when treating a fracture are relieve your swelling and pain and help you relax.

Bone realignment

Did you know your body is so intuitive that it begins to heal a break almost immediately? That’s why it’s imperative that you see a skilled doctor as soon as possible so they can make sure your bones are lined up precisely.

Splinting or casting

Once aligned, you’ll likely be placed in a cast or splint to keep the bones straight and immobile while they mend and heal.

Surgery

Depending on the severity of the break, you may need metal pins or rods to hold the bone(s) in position. Some pins and screws stay in place permanently, while others are removed after the bone sets. If the bone is shattered, surgery is also necessary to remove bone shards and fragments from the area.

Following your fracture treatment, our team often recommends physical therapy or rehabilitation. This is an essential step because it helps you regain range of motion and functionality after the bone has been immobilized and strengthens surrounding muscles. We customize a plan according to the type and acuteness of your injury and discuss it with you so you know exactly how many weeks of therapy to include on your schedule. 

For help with a fracture, call us at Crescent City Orthopedics today or request an appointment online.