Why does leg swelling occur after a leg fracture? The reasons for this phenomenon will be considered in the materials of this article. We will also tell you how to properly treat this pathological condition.
basic information
Swelling of the leg after a leg fracture occurs quite often. Before you tell how to get rid of such a phenomenon, you should find out what it is.
Edema is the accumulation of a certain amount of fluid in the soft tissues of the body. Very often, this pathological condition develops after trauma to the limb. Experts attribute this phenomenon to impaired blood flow in the damaged area of the body.
Swelling of the leg after a leg fracture may appear immediately after the injury, and also develop after some time, including after the fracture has completely healed.
Features of edema
Swelling of the leg after a leg fracture can be a prolonged and persistent phenomenon. Very often, the cause of such consequences is not only poor blood flow, but also damage or a violation of the integrity of the ligaments or muscle tissue, as well as malfunctions in their normal operation.
When a tumor appears on an injured limb, the patient may experience severe and aching pain. Also in this place the color of the skin changes.
In the event that the fracture was open or intraarticular, comminuted or displaced, then swelling can be observed not only on the injured part of the leg, but also on its entire surface.
It should also be noted that sometimes with such injuries, patients lose skin sensitivity and experience constant soreness, which ultimately leads to a decrease in human motor activity. Because of this, the patient may develop serious complications.
Main reasons
Plaster on the leg during a fracture is a completely normal situation. In this case, very often there are cases when, after prolonged immobilization of the limb, the bones grow together well and quickly, and after removing the bandage, during the rehabilitation of the patient, edema forms on the leg. In this case, the skin remains without visible damage. In medical practice, this problem is called "lymphostasis."
According to experts, lymphatic edema can occur due to disruption of the outflow and lymph production. Moreover, as a result of a fracture in a victim, not only bones, but also vessels, nearby tissues, nerves, muscles, lymph nodes, ligaments, etc. can be damaged.
With the appearance of lymphostasis, the patient may experience complications such as elephantiasis, cystoses, ulcers, fibrosis, and others. There are also such cases when when the edema of the injured area not only occurs, it also thickens the skin.
Other reasons
Why does the leg swell after a fracture (what to do in this situation, we will discuss further)? As a rule, in case of violation of the integrity of the ligaments, the joints are limited in movement. Also, excessive mobility may appear in them. Such phenomena contribute to the development of severe swelling, which is the cause of the occurrence of "ivory" or growths of bone tissue.
Plaster on the leg does not provoke the appearance of swelling. This pathological condition is caused by completely different reasons. But in any case, with the appearance of such symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor, since ignoring them entails very serious consequences.
How to relieve swelling after a leg fracture?
There are many ways to eliminate the swelling that occurred after the injury. However, to choose the most suitable method, you should definitely consult a doctor. This is due to the fact that any medicine for edema has its own adverse reactions and contraindications.
By the way, to eliminate the swelling of the lower extremities after a serious injury can not only modern drugs, but also special procedures, which should also be recommended by an experienced doctor.
So how to relieve swelling after a leg fracture? There are several methods for eliminating such a pathological condition. These include folk, traditional and alternative.
The traditional method of eliminating edema
To relieve swelling of the lower limb, restorative medicine requires the use of various creams, gels and ointments. Such local preparations help to improve not only lymph flow, but also blood flow.
According to experts, the cure for edema should contain heparin. This substance belongs to the group of direct anticoagulants, which prevents blood coagulation and quickly eliminates any swelling.
Also, after a fracture of a limb, doctors very often prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs and ketoprofen-containing preparations for local use to their patients. In addition, to improve blood flow and lymph outflow, some experts recommend the use of ketoprofen or ichthyol ointment. "These funds produce a warming effect and have an antitumor effect. Apply such ointments no more than three times a day, rubbing them intensively into the skin area until completely absorbed. .
Alternative methods
In addition to traditional methods in the form of the use of drugs and ointments, restorative medicine recommends removing the swelling of the limb after a fracture through various physiotherapy, including UV irradiation, electrophoresis, electrical stimulation, and others. However, it should be remembered that such methods do not always make it possible to see the result of treatment immediately after it has begun.
So, to relieve swelling of the lower limb after a fracture, doctors recommend that:
- Muscle stimulation. This procedure has a beneficial effect on tissue after damage.
- Hydromassage or regular massage that improves blood supply to damaged tissues, as well as the production and outflow of lymph. You can do this massage yourself or entrust this procedure to a specialist.
- UV irradiation of the area of damage.
- Electrophoresis
- Phonophoresis.
Folk remedies
Swelling of the leg after an ankle fracture can occur in any person. Most often, the patient turns to the doctor with this problem. But if traditional methods of therapy do not help, then you should pay attention to already proven folk remedies.
In order to eliminate swelling of the legs, alternative medicine suggests the use of a variety of oils, which must be carefully rubbed into the lesion.
As such folk remedies, experts recommend the use of cedar, fir or other oils that promote tissue regeneration and have a warming effect. In addition, in alternative medicine, many people use compresses with special clay or tincture. By the way, some of them can even be taken orally.
Consider the most effective and popular remedies that are most effective in eliminating edema:
- Pharmacy blue clay. The powder is diluted with a small amount of water, and then a cake is made from the resulting mass, which should completely cover the damaged area. It is applied to the fracture site for about 40-55 minutes. Such a compress must be done three times a day.
- Fir oil is intensively rubbed into the skin, where tissue swelling is observed. This procedure should be carried out immediately after sleep and immediately before it.
- Arnica infusion. To prepare such an antitumor solution, several large spoons of the ground plant are poured with hot water (boiling water) and insisted for about an hour. It should be remembered that for 1 liter of liquid, you need to take about 30 g of arnica. Over time, the infusion is filtered through gauze, after which it is used for compresses and lotions, which are applied to the fracture site for 1/4 hour before bedtime.