Rehabilitation is crucial for the restoration of arm strength and muscle tone following surgery for a humerus fracture (upper arm bone).
The middle part of the humerus or mid humerus is the part between the top part which forms the shoulder joint and the lower part which connects to the forearm bones to form the elbow joint.
In this article, we shall point out the rehabilitation plan that may help right after mid humerus fracture surgery.
Surgeries that are commonly done to fix the mid-humerus include;
- Plating. This is where a small sheet of metal and screws are used to hold the fractured bone
- Intramedullary nailing . This is where a metallic rod that acts as an internal splint is inserted inside the bone canal.
Our interest today is physical therapy after plating of the humerus.
The time from surgery to initiation of physiotherapy depends on the kind of fracture sustained, the type of surgery done plus the surgeon’s opinion. Physiotherapy can begin a few days after surgery to 6 weeks following surgery.
Care immediately after surgery
- Pain management. You will receive painkillers to relieve pain at the surgical site. You may also wear an arm immobilizer just to prevent excessive movement of the arm.
- Managing swelling. This is common after surgery but will go down in no time.
keep your arm elevated on a pillow above the level of your heart to ease venous drainage unless this is contraindicated by your surgeon.
- Wound care
The dressing will be changed as per the protocol of the hospital where you were operated on.
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Exercises after surgery
Prolonged immobilization of the arm will lead to wasting/atrophy of muscles plus joint stiffness. The amount of pain will guide the activities you do. These can be done 2 to 3 times a day and are safe to start at 3weeks after surgery.
Range of motion exercises
Range of motion exercises prevents stiffness at the joints.
- Palm up and palm down exercises.
This exercise allows for movement of the forearm called supination (palm facing up ) and pronation (palm facing down) which is all about rotating the forearm.
It also strengthens the muscles in the forearm and will also strengthen your biceps muscles which are located at the front of your arm.
- Pendulum exercises
In a standing position, with your arm hanging on your site, gently swing your arm back and forth. This allows the range of motion of the shoulder joint.
- Elbow flexion/extension exercises.
This involves moving your elbow back and forth. Here you employ the muscles of the arm to perform this activity. This will prevent elbow stiffness.
- Squeeze a ball.
This is a muscle-strengthening exercise. Using a small squeezable (stress relief)ball, squeeze and hold for a second then release. do this 20 squeezes. Repeat over the course of the day.
In conclusion, after surgery of the humerus, exercises will be implemented and these include range of motion exercises and strengthening exercises which are important for getting the arm back to full function.
