Stiff Elbow? Recover With These Tips After A Fracture

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Do you remember the last time you realized that you were having serious health problems? I have never been someone who was completely in-tune with their own health, which is probably why I began focusing more on getting enough exercise and dieting properly. I started working with my doctor to get things on track, and I was really impressed with how many different options there were to help me to improve my health. This blog is all about choosing better medical care and knowing when to take hold of your health. Check out this blog to learn how to manage your own health.

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Stiff Elbow? Recover With These Tips After A Fracture

13 March 2018
 Categories: Health & Medical , Blog


Recovering from a serious elbow fracture can be a long, tough process for some active adults. If your elbow joints become weak and stiff during your recovery, it can be even more frustrating for you. Your recovery may have prevented you from getting enough exercise to keep your elbow and arm strong and flexible. You can do something about your stiff elbow with the information below.

Why Are Your Elbows Stiff?

Every muscle and joint in your body requires some type of stimulation or exercise to stay strong and powerful, including your elbows. Your elbows allow you to flex, lift, and rotate your arms, but many serious bone fractures require immobilization with casts and slings to heal properly, which can make it difficult or almost impossible to move or exercise your arm during the recovery period. The bones in your elbow may stiffen up as a result.

A stiff elbow can hurt when you try to bend or move your arm. The tissues between and covering the joint can build up with fluid and swell, which may make the pain even worse. Some adults may experience more pain and stiffness in their injured elbow during certain times of the day. For instance, your elbow may feel stiffer and more painful in the morning than at night, as joints can become stiffer after prolonged rest.

The symptoms and issues above won't go away without treatment. In this case, you'll need physical therapy to regain full use of your elbow.

How Do You Release the Stiffness in Your Elbow?

There are different types of physical therapy that can help you, including sports physical therapy and massage therapy. However, sports physical therapy may be a better option for you simply because of how it works. The treatments improve the range of motion in your entire arm instead of just your elbow. Full range of motion helps increase flexibility in your elbow as well as strengthening your arm over time.

In addition, sports physical therapy teaches you how to perform your daily tasks without aggravating your elbow. Even small or insignificant tasks, such as dusting or opening a bottle, can cause pain and inflammation to develop in your injured elbow. To avoid any setbacks in your treatment, you want to avoid anything that reinjures your elbow.  

You can learn more about how to treat your stiff elbow by contacting a sports physical therapist today. Companies like Atlantic Physical Therapy Center can offer more information.