Pain after Fracture

Fractures are painful

The lining of the bone, the periosteum, has many nerve endings in it. When the bone cracks or breaks those nerves send information to the brain that is perceived as a deep and unrelenting aching pain. Any motion of the edges of the bone will stimulate those nerves, causing the pain to be worsened.

When the bone breaks there is bleeding from the broken edges, and the blood will soon form a clot. That clot will be the beginnings of new bone that forms to heal the fracture. As the blood clot becomes organized, it stiffens and prevents motion at the edges of the fracture. Generally this means that a few days after the fracture has occurred the pain will have diminished significantly.

Splint
When you are seen in the emergency room with a fracture, the doctor will generally put a splint on the broken area to stop motion at the fracture site. That will go a long way to minimizing the pain.

Swelling
Many patients find swelling adds to their discomfort. It is normal after trauma and a fracture for swelling to occur. It is important to elevate the area of the fracture as much as possible. If the fracture can be kept higher than the level of the heart, that will help to keep the swelling down.

Narcotic Medications
Narcotic pain medications are generally very helpful in treating post-fracture pain. The emergency room will probably give you a prescription for one of those medications.

Anti-Inflammatory Medications
Anti-inflammatory medications may also help to decrease fracture pain. Examples of these are Motrin, Advil, Ibuprofen, Aleve, Naprosyn, Relafen, Clinoril, Celebrex, Feldene, and others.