Basics of a Broken Hand: Treatment & Recovery
Each year, millions of individuals suffer hand fractures. Because we do so many tasks with our hands, even a little loss of function may result in lifetime complications. A fractured hand often necessitates a doctor’s appointment, and you may need months of rehabilitative treatment.
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Treatment for a Broken Hand
Due to the complexity of the hand, specialized medical treatment of hand injuries is typically required.
The doctor may numb your hand by injecting a local anesthetic into the wrist or base of a finger. They’ll examine, clean, and bandage any wounds. Then they’ll employ a splint to immobilize the damaged or broken bone.
If you are first treated in an ER, urgent care, or by your general doctor, they will typically send you to a hand expert like Dr. Rehman for follow up care, surgery if necessary, and physical therapy or other hand rehabilitation – to avoid long term damage or life-long mobility issues.
Patients may need pain medication for many days after a broken hand. Because there are so many nerves in the fingers and hands, a hand injury may be particularly uncomfortable.
Broken Hand Recovery
Following your discharge from the doctor’s office for a broken hand, follow these procedures to aid in the healing of your hand:
- Always carefully adhere to whatever directions your doctor provides.
- Ask questions about any directions you do not understand.
- Do NOT remove any splint until the doctor tells you that you can.
- Maintain as much elevation in your hand as feasible to alleviate discomfort and swelling.
- Attend all follow-up visits after a broken hand
- Take all medications exactly as prescribed.
Outlook on a Broken Hand
Hand and finger injuries may have a negative impact on everything you do, so it’s important to get them properly examined and treatment.
Your prognosis will be contingent upon whether it was a hairline fracture, complete break, or compound fracture. It will also depend on whether the damage included a joint, if any tissue was destroyed, whether you developed an infection, and how well you followed instructions.
Even a small fracture may need surgery and/or physical therapy to recover complete use of the hand, and prevent any long-term loss of mobility or deformity.
Recovery of a Broken Hand
Healing time of a broken bone is influenced by the patient’s age (children heal faster than adults) and any underlying health issues (conditions such as diabetes may cause slower fracture healing). The type or pattern of the break, the force of the injury and the location of the bone that is fractured all determine the speed of healing.
In general, most broken bones in adults take about 6 weeks to heal, while fractures in children may take only 4 or 5 weeks to heal. A cast or brace may be used for these same time periods. A typical wrist or ankle fracture usually requires immobilization for about 6 weeks. However, a typical broken finger only needs about 4 weeks of immobilization.
Broken Bone Hand Doctor | Warren, MI Area
If you are suffering from an injury or pain in your fingers, wrist, elbow or arm, contact board certified hand doctor Dr. Uzma Rehman for a comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis and treatment plan. As with most medical conditions, early treatment plan is the most effective way to avoid and long-term loss of mobility or deformity from a broken bone in the hand or fingers.
