Learn About the Role of Orthopedic Physical Therapy For Ankle Fractures, Broken Arms, and More
Fracturing or breaking a bone is not only painful, but it’s also the start of a long recovery process that limits your strength and mobility while testing your patience.
Whether it’s your wrist, ankle, arm, or leg, recovering from a fracture requires more than just rest. That’s where orthopedic physical therapy (PT), a holistic treatment option that can help you manage pain, regain function, and safely return to everyday life, comes in.
After defining what orthopedic physical therapy is and who is a candidate for it, we’ll take an in-depth look at how it supports broken bone recovery.
What Is Orthopedic Physical Therapy?
Orthopedic physical therapy is a specialized branch of PT that focuses on treating musculoskeletal injuries and conditions that affect your bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles.
Physical therapists use a combination of exercises, hands-on techniques, and patient education to help manage pain, increase mobility, and promote long-term recovery.
Orthopedic physical therapy typically includes:
- Stretching and strengthening exercises.
- Joint mobilization and manual therapy.
- Balance and coordination training.
- Pain management strategies.
- Movement pattern retraining.
- Guidance for returning to physical activity safely.
According to recent statistics, approximately 59% of physical therapy conducted in the U.S. focuses on orthopedic rehabilitation.
Physical therapy exercises aren’t just for people with broken bones. Individuals experiencing joint pain, arthritis, sprains and strains, muscle injuries, limited mobility, or who are recovering from surgery also benefit from PT.
Physical therapy is particularly effective because it is personalized for individual patient needs. PT also has no negative side effects or risks. In fact, physical therapy helps patients decrease their reliance on pain medications and avoid invasive surgical procedures.
How Physical Therapy Supports Broken Bone Recovery
After a broken bone is set and begins to heal — whether through a cast, boot, brace, or surgical procedure — there’s still a lot of recovering left to do. Patients may experience swelling, pain, and difficulty using the affected limb or joint.
This is especially true in common injuries such as ankle fractures and wrist fractures. Physical therapy for ankle fracture recovery focuses on rebuilding strength, improving balance, and helping patients walk normally again. Similarly, wrist fracture physical therapy helps restore hand function, grip strength, and range of motion, which are essential for daily tasks like writing, typing, and cooking.
Here’s how physical therapy supports patients recovering from broken bones:
- It restores range of motion: Broken bones often result in stiffness in nearby joints and muscles. Therapy helps restore movement gradually and safely.
- It rebuilds muscle strength: After weeks in a cast or brace, muscles weaken. Physical therapy includes strengthening exercises to bring back stability and function.
- It reduces swelling and stiffness: Therapists use hands-on techniques and guided exercises to decrease swelling and improve flexibility.
- It improves balance and coordination: Physical therapy helps patients regain balance and avoid falls, especially in lower limb fractures.
- It prevents compensatory injuries: Patients often change how they move when a joint is immobile or weak, sometimes causing new pain or injuries. Physical therapy helps retrain safe movement patterns.
- It eases pain without medication: Gentle stretching, guided exercises, and manual techniques help naturally ease pain. Studies conducted by the American Physical Therapy Association have concluded physical therapy decreases reliance on opioids.
- It prepares you for daily activities: Therapists focus on functional goals, such as climbing stairs, lifting objects, or rising from a sitting position, so you can confidently return to normal life.
- It speeds up your overall recovery: With a structured program and professional support, patients often recover faster than with rest alone.
Getting Started With Physical Therapy After a Fracture
The best time to start physical therapy is after your doctor confirms that your bone has healed enough for movement. This clearance typically follows a period of immobilization with a cast, brace, or boot. Your physician will refer you to a specific physical therapy practice, or you can choose one yourself.
Your orthopedic physical therapist should have experience treating patients with fractures and understand the specific needs of your injury. A therapist who regularly handles physical therapy for ankle fractures or wrist fracture physical therapy will know which techniques are most effective, which precautions to take, and how to personalize your recovery plan based on your age, activity level, and goals.
Take the First Step on Your Road to Recovery
Fractures are common, but they don’t have to lead to long-term limitations. With the right medical guidance and support, your body can heal, get stronger, and regain its normal function.
If you or a family member is recovering from a broken bone, now is the time to take action. You can get on the road to recovery today by contacting an orthopedic practice near you. After your orthopedic doctor has fully examined the affected area, they can recommend treatment options, which may include physical therapy exercises.