Broken arm how long does it take to heal

Ask your doctor if you can take them for pain relief. If you have an open fracture, in which you have a wound or break in the skin near the wound site, you'll likely be given an antibiotic to prevent infection that could reach the bone. Rehabilitation begins soon after initial treatment. In most cases, it's important, if possible, to begin some motion to minimize stiffness in your arm, hand and shoulder while you're wearing your cast or sling.

After your cast or sling is removed, your doctor might recommend additional rehabilitation exercises or physical therapy to restore muscle strength, joint motion and flexibility. Surgery is required to stabilize some fractures.

If the fracture didn't break the skin, your doctor might wait to do surgery until the swelling has gone down. Keeping your arm from moving and elevating it will decrease swelling. Fixation devices — such as wires, plates, nails or screws — might be needed to hold your bones in place during healing.

Complications are rare, but can include infection and lack of bone healing. Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition. Depending on the severity of the break, your family doctor or the emergency room physician might refer you or your child to a doctor who specializes in injuries of the body's musculoskeletal system orthopedic surgeon.

Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Casts and splints hold broken bones in place as they heal. A broken bone is a common, treatable childhood injury.

Most breaks heal well. Within a few months, kids usually are back to all the activities they enjoyed before the broken bone. Broken bones have an amazing ability to heal, especially in kids. Full healing can take time, but new bone usually forms a few weeks after an injury. Casts keep bones and other tissues in place while they heal.

Read more about how to look after your plaster cast. Page last reviewed: 27 May Next review due: 27 May Broken arm or wrist. Urgent advice: Get advice from now if:. You have had an injury to your arm or wrist and: the injury is very painful there is a large amount of swelling or bruising you cannot use the affected arm or wrist due to the pain will tell you what to do.

Other ways to get help Go to an urgent treatment centre Urgent treatment centres are places you can go if you need to see someone now. They're also called walk-in centres or minor injuries units. Do use a towel as a sling to support the affected arm — The St John Ambulance website has more information about how to make an arm sling gently hold an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel to the injured area for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours stop any bleeding by applying pressure to the wound with a clean pad or dressing if possible remove any jewellery such as rings or watches — your fingers, wrist or hand could swell up take paracetamol for the pain.

Nutrition: Maintain a well-balanced diet. Protein, Vitamins C, D, and K are all essential for fracture healing. Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Zinc are all elements needed for bone formation and to accelerate the healing process. This is probably the greatest single thing you can do to help fracture healing. Smoking inhibits fine capillary blood flow that is essential to healing. Avoid high dose Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen or naproxen.

These medications can inhibit the early phase of fracture healing. Are you ready to return to a life of restored mobility and function? Schedule an appointment today with Dr.

How are Fractures Treated? Non-surgical methods of treating fractures include: Cast: Casts are a tried and true method of fracture treatment and may be made of plaster or fiberglass.

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