Bones are strong and designed to withstand forces. However, they do have their limits, and they can break due to anything that involves sudden, severe impact—whether from a tackle during a football game, to a bad fall, to an automobile accident.
Bone fractures are not always preventable, so it is important that you know what exactly to do with a fracture when you sustain one. Let’s explore the dos and don’ts of bone fractures.
DON’T touch the injured area.
Don’t attempt to realign the bone or push it back if it’s sticking out. If medical help isn’t readily available, temporarily immobilize the area of the bone fracture by applying a splint above and below it. Padding the splints can help provide temporary relief.
DO seek medical intervention.
Seeking treatment at an orthopedic urgent care clinic is the best course of action for a bone fracture. Your orthopedic specialist will order X-rays to evaluate your condition and determine its severity and the appropriate course of treatment.
If you have a simple bone fracture, your orthopedic specialist can just have you wear a cast, brace, or splint to properly immobilize the injured area. For serious bone fractures such as when the bone is sticking out, your orthopedic specialist will likely require surgery to ensure correct alignment and fusion of your bones, and ultimately, proper healing.
DO keep your cast dry.
Casts are always supposed to stay dry to prevent skin irritation or infection. Water causes plastic casts to disintegrate and compromises the effectiveness of fiberglass casts.
To make sure your cast is dry all throughout, cover it with two layers of plastic then tape it before showering. It goes without saying that you can’t swim with it.
Your orthopedic specialist will likely provide you with care instructions for your cast.
DO pay attention to signs of infection.
Foul odor coming from your cast, pus pocket, severe pain, night sweats, chills, and fever are signs of infection. These warrant another visit to an orthopedic urgent care clinic.
Don’t try to remove your cast yourself.
Your doctor will recommend that you keep the cast on for a designated amount of time for a reason – again, to ensure the injury heals completely. Therefore, you’re not supposed to take it off early, no matter how bothersome you may feel it is.
Additionally, you could reinjure yourself when you try to take it off yourself. Your orthopedic specialist has special tools (such as a cast saw and a cast spreader) that allow them to safely remove your cast.
Bone Fracture Treatment in Clinton Township, MI
At Movement Orthopedics, our orthopedic urgent care provides treatment for a vast variety of orthopedic injuries and conditions, such as ACL and meniscus tears, arthritis, fractures, sprains, and strains. Finally, you no longer need to go to the ER, as we have a board-certified orthopedic specialist—Dr. Jeffrey Carroll—who can attend to you right away with no referrals required!
Call us at (586) 488-2440 for a same-day or next-day appointment. We look forward to providing you with the prompt, high-quality care you need when you need it!
