A broken wrist will probably land you in a cast. Once that cast comes off, many people, especially adults, will need to have physical therapy.

Your cast has held your wrist still for some weeks. Depending on the type of cast you had, your hand, fingers, and even elbow may have been immobilized. When your cast comes off the joints that have been still will feel stiff and sore, and the muscles around them may have atrophied. Do not fear; in time you will be able to function again. The best way to get your joints, tendons, and muscles back to functioning well is to attend physical therapy. These therapy sessions play an important part in your rehabilitation.

Physical Therapy

The purpose of physical therapy is to get your wrist, and any other affected parts of your hand and arm, back to working properly. Exercises are usually the primary focus of physical therapy. In addition to exercises, physical therapy may include ice therapy, heat therapy, electrotherapy, or ultrasound therapy. These can be helpful in reducing pain, swelling, and stiffness.

Your physical therapist and doctor will set up a program that is tailored to your needs. The total amount of time you will be in therapy depends on the severity of your injury and the rate at which you progress.

You will learn exercises that can be done at home in between physical therapy sessions. It's imperative that you do these and do them as instructed. Some of the exercises you can expect to learn include the following:

• Wrist bends—These have you bend your wrist up, down, and side to side.
• Wrist pronation and supination—Turning your wrist so your palm faces up and then down.
• Aided wrist flexor and extensor stretches—These use your other hand to help stretch the injured wrist.
• Finger and thumb extensions.
• Hook and straight fists—These help strengthen and loosen the tendons that run from your wrist to your fingers.

You will be told how many exercises you should do in a set and how many sets to do each day.

Continued Stiffness

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, depending on the type of fracture you had, your wrist might be stiff for months or up to as long as two years after your cast is removed. Most people can resume light activities at around two months, and regular activities from three to six months after their cast is removed. It's crucial to continue your exercises for as long as you experience stiffness. For more questions, consider getting in touch with St. Luke's Rehabilitation.