Fractures – recovery tips
Tips for recovering from a fracture
- During the early part of your recovery from a fracture, you may need to spend a few days resting the affected area.
- However, once your fracture has begun healing, your healthcare provider will give you special exercises to:
- help you regain your normal flexibility and/or range of joint motion around the injured area
- prevent your muscles from becoming weak and unable to support your healing bone.
- Here are some tips to help you recover from a fracture.

The best path to recovery is to follow your healthcare provider's advice. Recovery will be different for everyone, because it depends on:
- the type of fracture
- the location of the fracture (eg, leg, arm, wrist, ankle)
- when the fracture happened (how far along the healing process you are)
- your current health condition.
Recovery can feel like it takes forever, but slowly and steadily you will be able to return to your normal daily tasks.
Although you might not feel like it, after a few days' rest it's important to start bringing movement back into the affected area.
Your healthcare provider will probably suggest you start slowly, beginning with easy tasks to help improve strength and flexibility without damaging the healing bone. At first these exercises may feel awkward and uncomfortable but try to stick with them – they will pay off in the long term by making you stronger and more mobile.
If you experience pain or extreme discomfort when doing the exercises, see your healthcare provider for advice. They may need to assess how your fracture is healing or suggest other exercises for you.
Is your arm in a sling? Or are you using a walker or cane to move around? Or are you simply getting around a bit slower?
Getting help to make a few of the following changes around your home will make it easier for you to get around and may prevent a trip or fall:
- Move your furniture. Make a wide path in every room.
- If you have stairs, shift your bed to the ground floor until you’re healed and can use the stairs again.
- Remove clutter, such as piles of clothes or books or any item that could trip you up.
- Secure loose rugs. Use double-sided tape around the edges of large rugs. Put your small rugs away until you’re healed, these can trip you up and cause a fall.
- Improve your lighting. Check that your rooms, doorways and hallways have enough light. Install nightlights for after dark.
- Make sure stairs have handrails on both sides.
- Put grab bars in your shower. You don’t want to break/fracture another bone while you’re healing this one!
- Keep your phone nearby. Always have your mobile or cordless phone nearby – you never know when you may need help.
Video: Broken ankle recovery – handy tips
In this video, Sue Wells talks about 6 things that helped make life easier after she broke her ankle. This video may take a few moments to load.
Easy living tips after a fracture(external link)(external link) WebMD
Recovering from a hip fracture(external link)(external link) NHS, UK
Apps
Falls prevention apps
Exercise apps for older adults
References
- Fractures(external link)(external link) American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
- Fractures(external link)(external link) Medline Plus
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