Stopping Movement Too Soon, or Too Late
Rest after a fracture is not the same as complete immobility. A 2019 study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research found that patients who began supervised physiotherapy within two weeks of a stable fracture had significantly better functional outcomes at six months than those who remained fully immobile. In Indian households, the instinct is to keep the injured person still, no walking, no stretching, nothing. That instinct protects against pain but works against healing. Bone knits back together through a process called callus formation, and controlled mechanical loading signals the body to lay down new bone tissue faster. The mistake is treating rest as the entire prescription. It is only the first chapter.
