Elbow fracture (broken elbow)

If you follow this advice leaflet your injury should take around 10-12 weeks to heal. However, everyone recovers from injuries at different rates and it is dependent on the severity of the injury, the soft tissue that was involved and the presence of any other medical problems.

It can sometimes take many months to fully regain your elbow range of movement.

0 – 4 weeks after injury

You will likely be in a cast so during this stage it is important to keep your shoulder and fingers moving as best you can.

4 – 8 weeks after injury

Once your cast is removed you can start to try and add in some gentle cardiovascular activity like swimming or walking as you feel able to as well as keeping other parts of your body moving like doing core stability exercises or lower body exercises if you feel able to.

Try to start the initial exercises in this leaflet and carry them out regularly each day to get your elbow moving as best you can.

You can progress to the more difficult exercises as soon as you feel ready to, they should feel comfortable and not increase your pain at all.

8 – 12 weeks after injury

If you have followed all of the exercises within this guide and gradually built up your activity levels it is safe to start re-introducing more challenging activities such as gently returning to some sports activities and PE as you feel able to.

You can also start adding in more sport-specific activities as you feel able to and make a gradual return to training.

Remember to always be guided by your elbow – a little bit of pain that goes away quickly is normally nothing to worry about.

If you are experiencing high levels of pain that don’t settle quickly or if your shoulder feels unstable in any way you should contact the physiotherapy department on 0131 3121079.

Try and start working through the following exercises as soon as you can – it is safe to start trying these exercises once your cast has been removed.

Exercise 1

Sit with your hands on a table with your good hand on top of your injured hand and place something slidey under your hands.

Move your hands round in as big a circles as you can manage so your shoulder moves forwards, backwards, out to the side and across your body.

You may initially have to start with small movements but make them bigger as your arm feels more comfortable

Repeat 3×10 times, twice a day.

Exercise 2

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, arms by your sides, palms downwards.

Bend one elbow and bring the hand towards your shoulder with the palm facing towards you. Return to the starting position. You can also do this exercise in standing.

Try and move your wrist in all directions at the same time as well.

Repeat 3×10 times.

Exercise 3

Clasp your hands together and support your forearms on a table.

Put the back of one hand on the table and then turn your hands and put the back of the other hand on the table.

Repeat 3×10 times, a day.

Exercise 4

Stand next to a wall. Place your hands on the wall, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and fingers pointing
upwards. The body is in a straight line

Keep the body in a straight line and shoulders down. Bend your arms and lower your chest towards the wall. Straighten your arms and push back away from the wall.

Physiotherapy video

Start these exercises as soon as your movement has returned and your pain is starting to settle.

Exercise 1

Practice throwing and catching a ball with your injured arm, either against a wall or with a partner.

Practice throwing at different heights and different speeds as well as overarm and underarm throws.

Try and see how many times you can throw and catch without dropping the ball.

Exercise 2

Take weight through your hands on the floor in a plank position.

Move your weight over one arm and tap the hand or shoulder of the arm you are weight-bearing through then repeat on the other side.

Repeat 3×10 times a day.

Exercise 3

Practice bending and straightening your elbow with a small weight in your hands. This weight should only be light to start with and this exercise should not cause any pain.

Repeat 3×10 times a day.

Exercise 4 “Superman or woman”

On all fours, practice lifting one arm and the opposite leg, and work on straightening your arm and leg as much as possible whilst keeping your body steady.

Physiotherapy video

Once your elbow is no longer painful and the movement is much better you can gradually return to gentle activities.

As your elbow continues to feel better you can gradually return to your usual activities like sports and PE ensuring you warm up and cool down fully.

If you feel as though you are able to, you do not have to wait for the go-ahead from a health professional to return to your normal activities.

If you have regained full movement at your elbow, can use it for all normal activities pain-free and don’t have any feelings of instability you likely don’t need any further assessment or treatment.

If you do have any concerns, or ongoing pain or are struggling to return to your normal activities please call the physiotherapy department to speak with one of our physios and make a self-referral at 0131 312 1079