Quick answer
Post-fracture physiotherapy restores the movement and strength lost while a limb was immobilised. Weeks in a cast leave the nearby joints stiff and the muscles wasted even after the bone has healed. Treatment gradually restores joint range, rebuilds muscle and retrains weight-bearing, typically over six to twelve weeks.
The bone heals in the cast. The joint above and below it, and the muscle around it, do not — they stiffen and waste. That is the problem post-fracture rehabilitation solves, and it is why an arm can still be nearly unusable weeks after the fracture is declared united.
What we address
- Joint stiffness in the joints that were immobilised
- Muscle wasting, which begins within days of immobilisation
- Swelling and altered sensation in the limb
- Fear of loading the limb, which is common and slows recovery on its own
- Altered walking pattern after a lower limb fracture
How it progresses
Treatment starts with gentle, pain-guided movement to restore range, hands-on work to free the joint, and swelling management. Strengthening begins once the fracture is stable enough — your orthopaedic surgeon defines that point.
Weight-bearing after a leg fracture is graded: partial to full, walker to stick to unaided, in steps rather than in one jump.
How long it takes
Wrist and ankle fractures usually take six to twelve weeks of rehabilitation after the cast is removed. Larger fractures and those with surgical fixation take longer. The general rule is that the longer the limb was immobilised, the longer restoration takes.
Medically reviewed by Kapil Kumar, BPT, MPT, Orthopaedic Physiotherapy · Last reviewed September 2026
What it treats
Conditions treated with Post-Fracture Rehabilitation
Wrist & hand
Colles’ Fracture
- Wrist stiffness after cast removal
- Weak grip
Hip & thigh
Femur Fracture
- Severe thigh or groin pain
- Inability to bear weight
Ankle & foot
Stress Fracture
- Pain that builds during activity and eases with rest
- Localised bone tenderness at one point