What does physio do after a fracture?

Why physiotherapy matters after a break

When a bone breaks, the limb is often rested in a cast or after surgery. That rest lets the bone heal, but the joint stiffens and the muscles around it lose strength.

Once your doctor confirms the bone has healed enough, physiotherapy helps you move, strengthen and use the limb again. The aim is to get back the movement and confidence you had before.

A physiotherapist checks how the joint moves, how the muscles work, and what daily tasks feel hard. The plan then targets those goals.

What the physiotherapist works on

Early work is gentle movement to ease stiffness in the joint above and below the healed bone. Getting a wrist, ankle or knee to bend again comes first.

As movement returns, we add strength work so the limb can carry weight or grip properly. We pace this to what your doctor has cleared and how the limb responds.

We also help you use the limb in real tasks, such as walking, climbing steps, or reaching a shelf, so recovery fits your daily life.

Moving safely while healing

Timing matters after a fracture. Doing too much too soon can set healing back, while doing too little leaves the joint stiff and weak.

We follow your doctor’s guidance on how much weight or load the limb can take, and adjust the plan as it heals. Little and often is the safe rule.

Progress is reviewed openly. If pain rises or movement stalls, we change the plan and suggest a doctor’s review when needed.

Warning signs that need a doctor

Seek medical review if pain suddenly worsens, the limb looks a different shape, or you cannot use it at all. These may mean the bone is not healing as it should.

Go to hospital if a calf becomes hot, swollen and painful, or you feel short of breath, as these can signal a clot after surgery.

We would rather you check early. Physiotherapy works best once the medical side is safe.

Getting back to work and daily tasks

Recovery means returning to the things a fracture took from you, whether that is work, chores or carrying a grandchild.

We find out what you need the limb to do, then build towards it step by step. A wrist that must grip and a leg that must climb stairs need different work.

We pace the return so the limb is ready, and adjust if a task still feels beyond it.