Broken Wrist Recovery: Why Exercises Are Crucial for Restoring Your Range of Motion

Last updated on October 6th, 2024 at 08:43 pm

Broken bones are an extremely common global issue—so common that the average person will fracture two bones throughout their lifetime! While these breaks are never fun, they’re particularly challenging when they happen to your wrist.

A quick recovery is necessary because you use your hands to do everything from eating to rising from a seated position. But if you rush it rather than heal it, your wrist could have permanent damage. Working with the right doctor, who focuses on the wrist as one of their orthopedic surgeon specialties, can minimize the chances of long-term harm.

After your surgery is complete and the cast is removed, your healing journey isn’t over yet, though. Range-of-motion exercises through rehab are vital to fixing a break and returning your wrist to its healthiest possible version. Here, we’ll share the importance of exercise in regaining your range of motion and how you can optimize your return to using your wrist as you did before the break.

Why Rehab Exercise Speeds Up Your Recovery

Many people think that once their cast is off, they’re free to return to normal life. To them, the weeks spent in physical therapy are unnecessary, especially when they’re sure that they can do the exercises at home themselves.

If this sounds like your thinking, you may not consider your busy lifestyle and the pain that comes with healing and proper exercise. It’s human nature to avoid doing anything that causes extreme discomfort, even if you know it’s helping you to heal. A dedicated time to physical therapy throughout the week ensures you’re optimally moving your wrist to strengthen the bones and muscles and speed up your recovery.

How does using your wrist instead of resting it give you the best chance of faster healing? Range of motion exercises, done correctly, have the following benefits:

● Blood flow and circulation increase, minimizing inflammation and enhancing the wound’s oxygen flow. This effect speeds up healing and reduces the chances of scar tissue developing.

● Surgery recovery becomes faster. When you heal from post-surgical pain, the reliance on prescription medication is minimized.

● With professional exercise movements, there’s a better chance that you’ll return to the quality of life you had before your break. However, in some cases, the damage may be severe enough that part of the reduced motion is permanent. With time and consistency, you’ll get to as close to your previous mobility as possible.

Skipping these exercises won’t just slow down your healing — it could cause re-injury. As you go back to your previous activities, it’s easy to forget that the bones are still weak and in need of TLC. One wrong turn or use could redamage the wrist, resulting in the need to start over again with more surgery and exercise.

Types of Range of Motion Exercise

So, what activities can you expect to engage in while you’re undergoing your physical therapy exercise course? Here are a few of the typical types of movements that work well for wrist recovery.

● Gentle range-of-motion exercises are recommended for the initial post-cast period. These include activities such as wrist circles, flexion and extension bends, and side-to-side movements to build radial and ulnar bone strength.

● Grip strengthening techniques, such as gripping a stress ball or using your fingers to open a resistance band.

● Wrist extension and flexion movements using exercises like wrist curls and reverse wrist curls with light weights.

● Twisting the wrist and forearm to increase rotation mobility, both with and without weights.

Exercise Your Way Back to Health

As with all physical development, consistency with your wrist exercises will help you reach your goal as quickly as possible. Follow your doctor’s instructions and complete all the at-home and in-office exercises assigned by your physical therapist, and you’ll return to an optimal post-break range of motion with minimal setbacks.