A broken leg is painful, and depending on the severity of the break, may be completely debilitating for the injured person. Breaking a leg causes pain, difficulty with movement and possible deformity. For most people, a broken leg requires treatment from a physician, as well as a period of rest to allow the bones to heal. You may receive physical therapy in the early stages of treatment following a broken leg.
Leg Fracture
A leg fracture can range from a small hairline break to a complex fracture that results in shattered or protruding bone fragments. The leg is composed of three major long bones: the femur, also known as the thigh bone, the tibia, sometimes called the shin bone, and the fibula, which sits next to the tibia and extends from the knee to the ankle. A broken leg may consist of a fracture of any or all of these bones, due to such causes as car accidents, falls or injuries due to sports. Depending on the extent of your injury, your leg may need treatment through casting and immobilization or possibly through surgery. If your fracture is significant, your doctor may limit the amount of physical therapy that you receive during the acute phase of healing, in order to give your leg a chance to rest.
Reducing Complications
Physical therapy following a leg fracture is important to reduce the incidence of long-term complications. For patients that have significant leg fractures, surgical correction or casting provides treatment but may still result in difficulties with walking or changes in gait long after the fracture has occurred. Early physical therapy, followed by continual rehabilitation is important to reduce the risk of problems with walking, such as unsteady gait, lack of endurance, stiffness and weakness. Some other types of complications that can develop with a lack of physical therapy include muscle atrophy, arthritis in the leg joints, delayed healing and infection.
When to Begin
Depending on the type of fracture that you sustain and your method of treatment, you may begin physical therapy while still in the hospital. Acute physical therapy for a leg fracture involves getting up and putting weight on the leg during the early stages of treatment. If you have surgery to correct your leg fracture, you may start physical therapy once you have recovered from anesthesia following the procedure. In a 2006 case report in "Physical Therapy," researchers stated that early physical therapy that involves bearing weight on the affected leg is not only safe, but may result in a faster rate of healing. Early weight bearing exercises with a broken leg may shorten the time spent in the hospital as well, resulting in a faster recovery period and cost-saving healthcare measures.
Types of Physical Therapy
Initial physical therapy in the acute phase following a broken leg may involve working to stand and beginning to take steps. A physical therapist will stay with you and you may need assistance using a gait belt, which is strapped around your waist. The physical therapist holds the belt and guides you as you take initial steps. You may also perform range of motion exercises in the early stages of treatment. These types of exercises may be performed in bed or while sitting in a chair. Your physical therapist will rotate your leg at different joints, which may include the hip, knee or ankle. She may also take measurements as to the degree that you are able to move your leg. After several weeks of therapy, these measurements will be repeated and compared with the initial data to determine if you are making progress through physical therapy.
