Fracture rehabilitation is the planned recovery of movement, strength, balance and confidence after a broken bone, whether it was treated in a cast or with surgery. It is led by physiotherapists and rehabilitation physicians working to the surgeon's weight bearing instructions.
A healed X-ray is not the same as a working limb. Weeks of immobilisation leave stiff joints, thin muscles and, in older people, a fear of falling. Rehabilitation addresses these; it cannot speed bone healing itself, which follows its own biological pace.
Conditions this service looks after
- Wrist fractures with stiff fingers and weak grip
- Shoulder (proximal humerus) fractures
- Hip fractures in older adults
- Ankle and tibial plateau fractures with delayed weight bearing
- Spinal compression fractures
- Multiple injuries after road accidents
- Complex regional pain syndrome after a fracture
- Persistent stiffness after elbow or knee fractures
Tests you may be offered
- Review of X-rays and operation notes: Determines how much load and movement the fracture can safely take.
- Range of motion and strength measurement: Baseline and progress tracking with goniometer and dynamometer.
- Gait and balance assessment: Timed up and go, single leg stance and walking aids review.
- Falls risk and bone health assessment: Includes bone density scan and vitamin D after a low force fracture.
- Pain and swelling assessment: Screens for complex regional pain syndrome, which needs early treatment.
Treatments available
- Early protected mobilisation: Moving joints that are not immobilised, from day one.
- Progressive weight bearing: Staged loading with crutches or a frame according to the fixation.
- Joint mobilisation and stretching: For stiffness after cast removal.
- Strengthening: Resistance work for the limb and for the trunk and hips.
- Hand therapy and splinting: For wrist and finger injuries.
- Hydrotherapy: Walking and exercise in water when full weight is not yet allowed.
- Balance and falls prevention training: Reduces the risk of the next fracture in older adults.
- Oedema and scar management: Elevation, compression, massage and desensitisation.
When to ask for a specialist opinion
- Your cast is off but the joint will barely move
- You are still limping or using a stick 3 months after a leg fracture
- Burning pain, swelling, colour change and sensitivity out of proportion to the injury
- An older relative has lost independence after a hip fracture
- You need a return to work or sport plan after major injury
Travelling to Türkiye for this care
Rehabilitation works through frequent sessions over weeks to months, so it is mainly a local service. A stay of 2 to 4 weeks can be useful for an intensive inpatient or daily outpatient programme after multiple injuries or a hip fracture, combined with an orthopaedic review of healing. It can also suit people already in Istanbul after surgery. You should leave with a written home programme and clear milestones.
Send your reports, scans and a short history and a Clinic-Y coordinator replies within 24 hours with suitable teams and written, all-inclusive proposals side by side. Reviewing your case is free.
الأسئلة المتكررة
When should physiotherapy start?
Usually immediately for the joints around the fracture, and for the injured part as soon as the surgeon allows, often within days after stable fixation.
Is it normal to be stiff after a cast?
Yes. Most stiffness improves over 6 to 12 weeks of regular exercise. The elbow, fingers and ankle are the slowest.
Does pain during exercise mean damage?
Stretching discomfort that settles within an hour is expected. Sharp pain at the fracture site, new deformity or increasing swelling should be checked.