WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BONE FRACTURES

Bone fractures are a very common form of injury. A fracture occurs when a bone cracks or breaks in half. It is a very painful experience and you will have to wait a while for the bone repair to occur. If you fracture a bone or are taking care of someone who has experienced this injury, there are a few important things to know.

While there are diseases that can lead to sudden broken bones, most bone fractures are the result of trauma. Slipping on ice, car accidents, and falling off bicycles are all examples of events that cause these traumas. People end up putting too much pressure on their bones too suddenly and the bone snaps underneath the weight.

It can be tempting to treat a fracture at home, especially if you’re not in a lot of pain. However, it is essential that you see a doctor. Bone repair can go wrong if the fracture is not correctly set, and it can result in future pain and mobility issues. A doctor will do an x-ray to confirm the fracture and then set the bone in a cast. Bone fractures take two to 10 weeks to heal, so a cast will keep it in the correct position to recover correctly during that time.

While any bone in the body can fracture, there are some that get injured more frequently. Bone fractures occur most commonly in the clavicle, or collarbone. From there, you’re also more likely to have bone fractures in the wrists, ankles, arms, and legs. Since these injuries are more common, they are the ones that doctors have the most experience in treating. They can easily set you up for healthy bone repair using splints and casts.

If you fracture a bone, you need to get it taken care of. Go to your local urgent care or emergency room in order to get it treated and set up for long-term healing. If you don’t, you run the risk of infection, further damage, and incorrect healing. Broken bones are serious and need to be treated as such. So, keep these things in mind if you end up in a situation where you or someone you know has to deal with a bone fracture.