Physiotherapy on the device (KGG)
Physiotherapy on the device (KGG) has the advantage that the affected parts of the body can be specifically trained and the load can be increased in a controlled manner. Bones need load to grow and to be able to heal, therefore the KGG is a very meaningful addition in the therapy, as soon as the fracture is load stable. Among the most common bone fractures in adults are distal radius fractures, for example after a fall, or a fracture of the humerus.
Training on a rowing machine, lat pull and rope pull is useful here, for example, to strengthen the forearms and upper arms and the shoulder and back muscles. In the case of fractures in the area of the legs, such as a fracture of the neck of the femur, a fracture of the lower leg or a fracture near the ankle joint, training can be done on the leg press. It is also useful to practice knee bends with weights, for example with a kettlebell, and training on a back trainer for the lower back.
Further therapeutic measures
By means of massage and fascial techniques, muscles hardened by the injury and the surgical procedure can be relaxed. The affected area can be cooled to help reduce swelling by means of manual lymph drainage. Beware, however, of hypothermia and disturbance of blood circulation and thus wound healing.
The joint adjacent to the broken bone is first moved passively by the physiotherapist until the patient is able to become active again. Already in the first weeks after a fracture, massage treatment and mobilization of the fascia in the affected body part can be started. An exception to this is a conservative treatment of the bone fracture with a plaster cast, since the treatment area is usually covered by the plaster.
In this case, massages and fascial techniques can only be applied further away from the site of the bone fracture. After a bone fracture and its mostly operative treatment, accompanying symptoms such as oedema, i.e. water retention and swelling in the tissue, muscle tension in the affected body part and limited mobility of the joints often occur. Massages and fascial techniques can alleviate these accompanying symptoms, the metabolism of the tissue is stimulated and thus the healing process can be accelerated.
Furthermore, as a supplement to physiotherapy, the treatment helps to support the restoration of the function of the affected body part. Usually a treatment lasts 20 minutes and a standard recipe for massages provides for a treatment twice a week as an optimum. It is advisable to take at least one day off between two treatment sessions to allow the tissue to regenerate.
In the case of a fracture with pronounced swelling due to water retention in the tissue, the use of manual lymph drainage is recommended. In this procedure, the lymph, i.e. the tissue water, is moved with gentle grip techniques in the direction of the large lymph nodes and drainage pathways to stimulate drainage and reduce the swelling of the tissue. This can lead to a reduction in pain, improved mobility and a faster restoration of function. How often manual lymph drainage is used and how long a treatment takes depends on the extent of lymphedema. Usually a treatment lasts between 45 and 60 minutes and is performed at least twice a week.
