Hip fracture is a serious injury, especially dangerous for elderly people. About 4.5 million people around the world experience it every year. Most people need surgery after such an injury.

Rehabilitation is a set of measures aimed at speeding up the recovery after an injury and the return of mobility. The patient is recommended medications selected for hip injury treatment, an exercise program, physical therapy, massage, and nutrition. Exercises must be started in the early period, while the patient is still in the hospital. Recovery after a hip fracture takes from 2 months to 1 year.

Without the exercises, many elderly patients lose the ability to self-care. The rehabilitation program after a hip fracture includes the following household recommendations: the patient needs to use crutches correctly, climb stairs, and sit. For successful recovery, it is important to eat food rich in vitamins and minerals.

Recovery after surgery on the femoral neck depends on the patient's state of health, the promptness of obtaining medical care, as well as the effectiveness of subsequent rehabilitation. Under favorable conditions and the desire of the patient to recover, everyone can return to their normal life with minimal consequences.

Features of Injury

Although a hip fracture can occur at any age, elderly people are especially affected by such injuries. 75% of cases occur in women over 50 years of age. As they age, their bones become more fragile and the recovery process slows down.

The bones of the femoral neck have a narrow shape, which makes it more difficult for them to fuse together. In addition to this problem, nutritional deficiencies, which are observed at an older age, are added. The pelvic bones are subject to significant wear and tear, which is often aggravated by osteoporosis. With a fracture of the femoral neck, the damaged parts are not able to grow together without the intervention of specialists due to impaired blood circulation.

The surgery is an additional stress for the body, which also increases the recovery period after a fracture. Within a few months, the patient needs intensive rehabilitation, the effectiveness of which largely determines the quality of life in the future.

Features of the Rehabilitation of an Elderly Person

A fracture of the femoral neck immobilizes the patient. Because of this, an elderly person begins to suffer from bedsores, the state of the cardiovascular system, respiratory organs and digestion worsens. Patients often experience sleep disturbances and depression.

In this situation, it is especially important to maintain in an elderly person the desire to restore mobility. It is worth reminding grandparents that medicine has gone far ahead, and a fracture of the femoral neck today is no longer a sentence, but it is quite possible to return to your usual way of life.

Recovery schemes after a hip fracture may vary depending on the treatment. If a surgical intervention was not performed due to contraindications or for other reasons, rehabilitation is primarily aimed at improving blood circulation in the injured area. For this purpose, appoint:

• Stimulating massage;
• Physical therapy to restore mobility;
• Exercise to avoid congestion in the lungs.

If the patient had surgery, the emphasis is on restoring the patient's motor activity. A number of special exercises will help the elderly person return to activity.

In the early stages of recovery after a hip fracture, ideomotor mental exercises are recommended. The patient regularly and systematically imagines how they perform the workouts. With ideomotor exercises, proper nerve impulses perform in the brain and help to tone the muscles.

The patient can perform small workouts that do not directly involve the damaged areas but stimulate blood circulation. These are circular movements of the feet, and tension of the muscles of the ankle and thigh.

It is especially important to do breathing exercises in the early stages of rehabilitation after a hip fracture, which will enhance the drainage functions of the lungs and prevent inflammation.