A limb injury is a crack or a break of one bone in your arm or leg. Some causes of such an injury include vehicle accidents, sports injuries, and falls. If the injury is minor, there are home remedies that can help, like icing. However, if the injury declares one immobile, the doctor's attention is paramount for proper diagnosis and treatment.
A broken limb can prevent one from performing normal activities for several weeks or months. Recovering from fractures or broken limbs depends on the location, complexity, and type of the fracture. For instance, a broken femur needs more recovery time in comparison to a broken fibula.
This article walks you through important tips that can help you recover faster if you've got a limb injury. Read on to get enlightened.
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Table of Contents
Discuss Recovery Methods
Your desire during the recuperation period is to manage symptoms and get rid of limb pain. The recovery period solely relies on the complexity of the injury. The higher the complexity, the longer the recovery duration. There are times when the limbs don't get back to pre-injury levels. Thus, it's beneficial to discuss with your doctor. This ought to be done early enough to identify the most appropriate methods towards one's recovery goals and expectations.
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Manage Symptoms
Common signs of broken limbs include bruising, pain, tenderness, and swelling. These symptoms can be managed in the following ways:
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Resting
After experiencing a limb injury, refrain from what you’re doing instantly. Rest as much as you can for two consecutive days. Then, don't put on weight on the injured limb for two days. This helps avoid additional injuries.
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Icing
This is executed through the application of ice to the broken arm or leg. Before the application process, the ice pack should first be covered with a towel that's light and absorbent. After every three hours, within two consecutive days, apply this method to get rid of the pain. A bag of corn or frozen peas could also help, although an ice pack is the most efficient.
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Compression
Compression involves wrapping the injured limb with an elastic medical bandage. This should be the first step to avert swelling. Be careful not to do this tightly as this will interfere with blood flow, attracting more complications. After wrapping, observe skin color changes. When the skin changes to blue or feels numb, tingly, or cold, then loosen the bandage.
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Elevation
Elevation involves raising the injured limb above the heart's level, especially if it's a broken arm. This reduces throbbing, pain, and swelling. To achieve this, you can use a pillow to elevate the injured limb. For better results, keep the injured limb raised most of the time.
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Bear Weight As Advised
At times, the doctor may advise you against putting weight on the broken limb for several weeks or months. This facilitates proper healing of the bone. A walker or properly fitted crutches can help one move around these times. When one begins to move without anyone's assistance, one should be careful not to add a lot of weight to the limb. It takes several months for a bone to achieve full strength.
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Follow Guidelines For Activities
Some limb fractures won't bar you from moving around. Thighbone fractures may be complex, and, thus, demand surgery, bed rest, and long recovery time. Some activities that involve moving the injured limb could cause more harm. At times, a hurt or a swell could be experienced due to these movements. To prevent these, the doctor advises you on the right time to return to work or do other activities. For fast recovery, it's good to follow the doctor's guidelines.
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Physical Therapy
As part of the recovery, a health expert will advise you to stat therapeutic exercises. These are strengthening and stretching movements. For less complex injuries, the doctor may advise you to do home workouts. Working with a therapeutic professional is usually painful in the beginning. Discuss with your therapist about pain management for quick recovery.
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Watch For Other Complications
At times, some problems may emerge during the recovery process. When you experience color changes, more pain or swelling, fever, tingling, and numbness, inform your doctor immediately. One can experience chronic pain or arthritis following a complex limb injury.
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Prevent Future Injuries
A health expert will advise you on measures to avert future injuries. Some of these are building muscle energy around the injured part. To eradicate stress on the fracture, one can vary their exercise routines. Getting enough vitamin D and calcium is crucial for bone strength. One should inquire from their doctors on when to take supplements for these nutrients. Some preventive measures, for instance, putting on protective athletics gear, eliminating hazards at home that could lead to falls, and utilizing seat belts, play a key role in preventing future injuries.Apart from the above-discussed strategies, some foods help in the quick healing of the injured limbs. These foods include:
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Protein
Foods rich in protein, like fish and meat, contribute to the process of muscle building in the body. Muscle building is key to injury recovery.
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Vitamin C
Leafy greens and citrus fruits have lots of vitamin C. Collagen needs to be produced. Collagen prevents inflammation and rebuilds tissues.
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Omega-3
There are supplements that health professionals advise for one to get this element. One can get omega-3 fatty acids from sardines, walnuts, chia seeds, salmon, and soya beans. These not only speed up recovery, but also prevent inflammation.
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Calcium And Vitamin D
Such nutrients can be obtained from yogurt, milk, cheese, dark leafy vegetables, almonds, and soft-boned fishes. Vitamin D is obtained from direct exposure to sunlight. It aids in the proper absorption of calcium in the body. These two elements, vitamin D and calcium, are important for strong bone formation. Strong bones make healthy bodies.
Takeaway
Most limb injuries could be avoided by incorporating fitness plans into one's lifestyle. These are strength training, flexibility, and cardiovascular exercises. Again, one should rest after tedious activities. Anything done when one is in pain or tired could lead to serious body damages. Since limb injuries are accidental, the above-discussed tips will help one recover faster after sustaining an injury.
