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OrthoNY, Orthopedic Care, Sports Medicine Experts, Albany, Malta // Media // News & Events » Broken Bones – What Do I Need To Know?
Broken Bones – What Do I Need To Know?
Posted in: Urgent Care | Posted on: 26-Aug-2016

Ouch! You’ve broken a bone – if this is your first time, you may have a lot of things going through your head:

  • How will this affect my work?
  • Will I fully recover?
  • How do I deal with a cast?

It’s important to start developing a plan of action for your recovery.

Working With a Broken Bone

Depending on what bone has broken or what field of work you’re in, a broken bone may be a minor inconvenience, or worse. It is important not to over exert yourself and make sure that your employer knows the full extent of your injury.

Will I Fully Recover? When Will I Recover?

Depending on the fracture and post-injury care, a broken bone can take as little as 3 weeks to heal, or it could take months. There are a number of things you can do to help heal a broken bone faster:

  • Increase protein intake
  • Take a calcium supplement
  • Increase lysine in your diet.
    • Lean meat
    • Polutry
    • Shellfish
    • Soy
    • Legumes
  • Exercise to the best of your ability (depending on your injury, this may not be possible)

Many people make full and very successful recoveries from broken bones. Depending on the severity of the accident, you may want to follow up with an orthopedic doctor or physical therapist.

Dealing With A Cast

Casts differ vastly, and dealing with a cast can be really restrictive. Casts are commonly made of fiberglass or plaster. Fiberglass has a number of advantages, it usually weighs less and is better constructed. Plaster, however, is cheaper.

One of the most annoying parts of dealing with a cast is dealing with the swelling. Taking anti-inflammatory medicine will help handle the swelling. It’s important to stay as mobile as possible while dealing with the injury and keep the area elevated if inflammation becomes a problem.

Generally, you should not allow a cast to get wet unless it is waterproof. Often, fiberglass casts can get wet, but it’s still best not to submerge it. Keeping the cast clean is hard, but important.

If the limb becomes numb or cold, feels like it’s burning, or if the skin nearby becomes raw, red, or cut, there may be a problem.

Be aware of any physiological changes after breaking a bone and getting a cast, as they may signify a problem with the healing process.

Orthopedic Care for Broken Bones in Albany

If you’ve fractured a bone and it’s penetrating skin, severely bruised, or very painful, call 911 immediately. If you’re not sure if you’ve broken a bone, and want to seek medical attention, OrthoNY has multiple Urgent Care offices around Albany for immediate evaluation and treatment:

Please note – the last patient check-in is 15 minutes prior to the posted closing.