![]() Physical therapy may begin six weeks after the fall, when the bone is healed enough to prevent displacement upon motion. A broken hip can take three to four months to heal without surgery, but recovery largely depends on the bone health and pattern of injury. Without physical activity, muscle mass decreases and leads to the risk of falling again. Plus, many patients with a broken hip become immobile and subsequently develop bed sores, recurrent urinary tract infections and pneumonia. Without surgery, the injured individual’s pain increases. Most surgeons agree that an operative procedure is necessary to reduce pain. Families worry about surgery being performed when an elderly loved one is extremely ill or has an unstable, displaced hip fracture. Non-surgical treatments are reserved for isolated greater trochanteric hip fractures. However, the senior and family caregiver should be aware that very few hip fractures are treated without surgery. When a senior does not undergo surgery for a broken hip, it might mean that physical therapy is a medically viable treatment option. The senior’s age, physical condition and medical history are taken into account when the doctor develops a personalized treatment plan. In general, a broken hip is treated with surgery. ![]() Just because the senior can still walk, it does not rule out the possibility of a hip fracture. Plus, a caregiver may notice that the leg on the side of the injured hip appears shorter. Another indication of a hip injury is when the injured leg unnaturally turns outward. The hip area may appear bruised, swollen or stiff. Physical manifestations of the fractured hip will be evident. Due to the fracture, the senior might be unable to bear weight on the injured leg. Subsequent to the fall, the elderly person may be unable to move his legs. He may feel pain in the groin or hip area. What are symptoms of a broken hip?Ī senior can experience symptoms that indicate a broken hip. Consequently, a broken hip is a common occurrence in the older population. These individuals with mobility and balance issues are at a greater risk for falls. Additionally, the elderly oftentimes grow physically weaker, due to a decreasing amount of muscle mass. Plus, in general, women fall more often than men. This is because more women than men suffer from osteoporosis, a disease that leads to brittle bones and causes them to them to break more easily. Women are 75 percent more likely than men to sustain a hip fracture. Why are older people more at risk for a hip fracture? The type of fracture determines whether or not surgery is necessary. Depending on the type of injury and health of the bone, the hip may be broken in multiple pieces or have a slight crack. Hip fractures occur when the top part of the thigh bone or femur is broken. In 95 percent of hospitalized patients, the hip fracture occurs when the senior falls sideways. Approximately 300,000 people over the age of 65 are hospitalized for a hip fracture each year. A broken hip is a common injury still, it is no less a catastrophic blow. The risk for a hip fracture increases as an individual grows older. Seniors who fracture a hip are unlikely to remain independent afterward. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers a broken hip to be the most serious type of fall injury. Once the fracture occurs, life takes a downhill turn for the injured. This is due to the fact that a broken hip is extremely difficult for an elderly individual to recover from. Hip fractures seem inconsequential to younger people, but to an older person, the injury can be fatal.
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