Recovery & Rehabilitation · Trenton, MI
Fracture Recovery
Physical therapy for fracture recovery at Total Body Rehab — evaluation-driven, one-on-one care in Trenton, serving all of Downriver.
The cast comes off, the bone is healed — and the limb is stiff, weak, and half the size it was. Fracture recovery has two halves, and immobilization only completes the first. Rehab is the second.
We restore what casting takes away: joint motion, muscle strength, bone-loading tolerance, and the confidence to use the limb like it never happened.
Common signs & symptoms
- Stiffness in joints above and below the healed fracture
- Visible muscle loss in the immobilized limb
- Weakness with grip, lifting, or weight-bearing
- Swelling that lingers after cast removal
- Hesitancy or fear of re-injury
How physical therapy helps
Following your physician's healing timeline, we mobilize stiff joints, rebuild muscle progressively, and reintroduce load — because bone, like muscle, strengthens in response to appropriate stress. Wrist fractures get grip and weight-bearing progressions; ankle and leg fractures get gait retraining and balance work. The goal is full, fearless use.
Treatments we use
- Joint mobilization
- Progressive strengthening
- Graded weight-bearing
- Gait retraining
- Swelling management
Frequently asked questions
The bone is healed — why does it still hurt?
Stiff joints, weak muscles, and sensitive tissue all outlast bone healing. That residual pain is normal after immobilization and responds well to graded rehab — it is not a sign the bone failed.
How long after cast removal until I'm normal again?
A rough rule: recovery takes about as long as immobilization did, sometimes longer for the wrist and ankle. Consistent rehab meaningfully shortens that timeline.
Is it safe to load the healed bone?
Yes — on your physician's timeline, progressive loading is exactly what finishes bone remodeling. We coordinate clearances and dose it appropriately.
This page is general education, not a diagnosis. For advice about your specific situation, schedule an evaluation or talk with your physician.