Stiffness and Muscle Loss After a Fracture: Getting Movement and Strength Back

The bone is only half the story. By the time a fracture has healed enough to come out of a cast, the joint above and below it is often stiff, the muscles are noticeably weaker, and everyday movements feel awkward or uncomfortable. This is normal — and it responds very well to rehabilitation.

Why stiffness and weakness happen

To let a bone heal, the area has to be protected and rested. But joints are designed to move, and muscles are designed to work. During weeks of immobilisation:

• The joint capsule and soft tissues tighten, reducing range of movement
• Muscles that aren't being used shrink and lose strength (disuse atrophy)
• Swelling and scar tissue can further limit movement
• You naturally protect the area, so it moves even less

Healing the bone vs. restoring function

A fracture may be "healed" on an X-ray well before the limb feels normal again. Getting back full movement, strength and confidence usually takes longer than the bone healing itself — and it rarely happens on its own. Structured rehabilitation is what closes that gap and helps you avoid lasting stiffness.

How physiotherapy helps

Once you've been cleared to start moving, home-based orthopaedic and MSK physiotherapy works progressively through:

• Gentle range-of-movement work to ease stiffness and restore mobility
• Graded strengthening to rebuild the muscles that wasted during immobilisation
• Safely returning to weight-bearing or load, guided by your surgeon's advice
• Restoring function — grip, reaching, walking, stairs, and everyday tasks
• Managing swelling, discomfort and the confidence to use the limb again

Common fractures we help with at home

Wrist fractures, ankle fractures, shoulder and upper-arm fractures, and hip fractures in older adults all benefit from home rehab — particularly when getting to a clinic is difficult while you're still recovering. Home visits mean your programme is built around the tasks you actually need to do.

Don't leave it too long

Stiffness is easier to treat early, before tissues fully tighten. If your cast or sling has recently come off and movement feels limited, it's worth starting rehabilitation promptly. We visit homes across Dartford, Bexley, Eltham and the surrounding areas.

This article is general information, not personal medical advice. Always follow your surgeon's or fracture clinic's guidance on when to start moving, and have a physiotherapist assess you before progressing.