What is Forearm Fracture
Forearm fracture is a break in one or both of the bones of your arm that are between the elbow and the wrist. Your forearm is made up of two bones called the radius and the ulna.
Some forearm fractures will require surgery.
Follow these instructions at home:
If you have a cast:
- Do notstick anything inside the cast to scratch your skin.
- Check the skin around the cast every day. Tell your doctor about any concerns. You may put lotion on dry skin around the edges of the cast, but not on the skin underneath the cast.
If you have a splint:
- Wear it as told by your doctor. Remove it only as told by your doctor.
- Loosen the splint if your fingers become numb and tingle, or if they turn cold and blue.
Bathing
- Cover the cast or splint with a watertight plastic bag to protect it from water while you take a bath or a shower. Do notlet the cast or splint get wet.
Managing pain, stiffness, and swelling
- If
told, apply ice to the injured area:
- Put ice in a plastic bag.
- Place a towel between your skin and the bag.
- Leave the ice on for 20 minutes, 2–3 times a day.
- Move your fingers often to avoid stiffness and to lessen swelling.
- Raise the injured area above the level of your heart while you are sitting or lying down.
Driving
- Do notdrive or use heavy machinery while taking pain medicine.
- Do notdrive while wearing a cast or splint on a hand that you use for driving.
Activity
- Return to your normal activities as told by your doctor. Ask your doctor what activities are safe for you.
- Do range-of-motion exercises only as told by your doctor.
Safety
- Do notuse your injured limb to support your body weight until your doctor says that you can.
General instructions
- Do notput pressure on any part of the cast or splint until it is fully hardened. This may take several hours.
- Keep the cast or splint clean and dry.
- Do notuse any tobacco products, including cigarettes, chewing tobacco, or electronic cigarettes. Tobacco can delay bone healing. If you need help quitting, ask your doctor.
- Take medicines only as told by your doctor.
- Keep all follow-up visits as told by your doctor. This is important.
Contact a doctor if:
- Your pain medicine is not helping.
- Your cast breaks or gets damaged.
- Your cast gets loose.
- Your cast feels too tight.
- Your cast gets wet.
- You have more severe pain or swelling than you did before the cast.
- You have severe pain when you stretch your fingers.
- You continue to have pain or stiffness in your elbow or your wrist after your cast is taken off.
Get help right away if:
- You cannot move your fingers.
- You lose feeling in your fingers or your hand.
- Your hand or your fingers turn cold and pale or blue.
- You notice a bad smell coming from your cast.
- You have fluid or drainage from underneath your cast.
- You have new stains from blood, fluid, or drainage that is coming through your cast.
Forearm Fracture Rehab
Ask your health care provider which exercises are safe for you. Do exercises exactly as told by your health care provider and adjust them as directed. It is normal to feel mild stretching, pulling, tightness, or discomfort as you do these exercises, but you should stop right away if you feel sudden pain or your pain gets worse. Do notbegin these exercises until told by your health care provider.
Stretching and range of motion exercises
These exercises warm up your muscles and joints and improve the movement and flexibility of your wrist and forearm. These exercises also help to relieve pain and stiffness.
Exercise A: Wrist flexion, active-assisted
- Extend your __________ arm in front of you, and point your fingers downward.
- If told by your health care provider, bend your __________ arm.
- Tip your palm and fingertips toward you so your fingers point downward. Go as far as you can without feeling pain.
- With your other hand, gently pull the back of your hand toward you until you feel a gentle stretch on the top of your wrist and forearm.
- Hold this position for __________ seconds.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
Repeat __________ times. Complete this exercise __________ times a day.
Exercise B: Wrist extension, active-assisted
- Extend your __________ arm in front of you and turn your palm upward.
- If told by your health care provider, bend your __________ arm.
- Tip your palm and fingertips back so your fingers point downward and your palm faces away from you. Go as far as you can without pain.
- Use your other hand to gently pull your palm and fingertips back so your fingers point down even more. You should feel a gentle stretch on the inside of your forearm.
- Hold this position for __________ seconds.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
Repeat __________ times. Complete this exercise __________ times a day.
Exercise C: Supination, active
- Stand or sit with your elbows at your sides.
- Bend your __________ elbow to an “L” shape (90 degrees).
- Turn your palm upward until you feel a gentle stretch in the inside of your forearm.
- Hold this position for __________ seconds.
- Slowly return your palm to the starting position.
Repeat __________ times. Complete this stretch __________ times a day.
Exercise D: Pronation, active
- Stand or sit with your arms at your sides.
- Bend your __________ elbow to an “L” shape (90 degrees).
- Turn your palm downward until you feel a gentle stretch in the top of your forearm.
- Hold this position for __________ seconds.
- Slowly return your palm to the starting position.
Repeat __________ times. Complete this stretch __________ times a day.
Strengthening exercises
These exercises build strength and endurance in your forearm. Endurance is the ability to use your muscles for a long time, even after they get tired.
Exercise E: Grip
- Hold one of these items in your __________ hand: a dense sponge, a tennis ball, or a large, rolled sock.
- Slowly squeeze as hard as you can without increasing any pain.
- Hold this position for __________ seconds.
- Slowly release your grip.
Repeat __________ times. Complete this exercise __________ times a day.
