A fracture is a break or crack in a bone, ranging from a hairline stress fracture to a displaced break that needs surgery. Fractures affect young athletes and older adults alike. Physical therapy restores motion, strength and confidence once healing begins. SportsMed Physical Therapy treats fractures at clinics across New Jersey and Connecticut.
What Is a Fracture?
A fracture is a structural break in bone tissue. Doctors describe fractures by pattern: a stress fracture is a fine crack from repeated loading, a non-displaced fracture keeps the bone ends aligned, and a displaced fracture separates them. Common sites include the wrist (distal radius), ankle, hip (proximal femur), collarbone, foot and vertebrae. About one in two women and one in four men over age 50 will break a bone linked to low bone density. Whether the bone is casted, splinted or fixed with plates and screws, the muscles, joints and nerves around it are affected too, and that is what rehabilitation addresses.
What Causes Fractures?
Most fractures come from a single force the bone cannot tolerate: a fall on an outstretched hand, a tackle, a car crash or a misstep on an icy sidewalk. Others build slowly. Stress fractures appear when training volume rises faster than bone can remodel, which is why runners and dancers get them in the shin and foot.
- Falls, especially onto a hand, hip or shoulder
- Direct impact from sport, work or vehicle collisions
- Rapid increases in running, jumping or marching volume
- Osteoporosis or low bone mineral density
- Balance problems, vision changes or medications that cause dizziness
What Are the Symptoms of a Fracture?
Acute fractures bring sudden, focused pain and an unwillingness to bear weight or grip. Stress fractures are quieter, often starting as an ache late in a run. After the cast comes off, stiffness and weakness take over.
- Sharp, well-localized pain over one point of bone
- Swelling, warmth or bruising around the area
- Pain that worsens with weight bearing or gripping
- Stiffness and muscle loss after immobilization
- Limping or reluctance to use the limb
Seek prompt medical attention if you have obvious deformity, numbness, a cold or pale limb, or pain that keeps building under a cast, since these can signal nerve or circulation problems.
How Are Fractures Diagnosed?
Fractures are confirmed with imaging. X-ray identifies most acute breaks. Stress fractures often look normal on early films, so MRI or bone scan may be ordered when pain persists. CT maps complex joint or spine fractures. Your physical therapist does not diagnose the break itself but examines what surrounds it: range of motion, strength, swelling, scar mobility, balance and gait. That exam, plus your surgeon’s weight-bearing limits, sets the starting point for care.
How Physical Therapy Treats Fractures
Bone knits on its own schedule, but the stiffness, atrophy and altered movement left behind respond directly to skilled care. At SportsMed, physical therapy after a fracture progresses in phases, always inside your surgeon’s precautions.
Early care controls swelling and keeps nearby joints moving. Once loading is cleared, therapists add progressive resistance, joint mobilization for post-cast stiffness, and task practice such as stairs and carrying. For lower limb fractures, gait and balance training rebuilds a symmetrical walking pattern and lowers fall risk, while the Alter-G anti-gravity treadmill allows walking or running at a set percentage of body weight. Wrist, hand and finger fractures often need hand and occupational therapy for tendon glide, grip and fine motor control.
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How Long Does Recovery Take?
Most simple fractures unite in six to eight weeks, with hand and wrist bones healing faster and femur, tibia and vertebral fractures slower. Full functional recovery usually takes three to six months, and longer for athletes and heavy manual workers. Progress is faster with early referral, good nutrition and consistent home exercise. It slows with smoking, diabetes, prolonged immobilization and skipping rehabilitation once the cast comes off.
Fracture Treatment Near You in New Jersey and Connecticut
SportsMed has clinics across New Jersey and Connecticut, clustered densely in Essex and Hudson Counties. Fracture patients are seen at physical therapy in Newark, NJ and physical therapy in Belleville, NJ, plus Bloomfield, Montclair, West Orange and Maplewood. Hudson County patients use physical therapy in Bayonne, NJ, our Jersey City clinic near Journal Square and physical therapy in Union City, NJ, along with Harrison, North Bergen and West New York. We also cover Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic and Union Counties, plus Fairfield and New Haven Counties. Browse every New Jersey clinic or Connecticut clinic, use our location finder, or book an appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fractures
Q: When should physical therapy start after a fracture?
A: Often sooner than people expect. Many patients begin therapy for nearby joints while still in a cast or boot, then progress to the injured area once the surgeon confirms healing. Starting early limits the stiffness and muscle loss that are slowest to reverse.
Q: Can physical therapy help a stress fracture?
A: Yes. After a period of relative rest, therapy addresses the training errors, strength deficits and mechanics that overloaded the bone. Gradual loading, hip and calf strengthening and a controlled return-to-running plan can lower the risk of another break. Progression is guided by symptoms rather than the calendar.
Q: Why is my joint so stiff after the cast came off?
A: Immobilization causes soft tissue tightening, joint capsule shortening and rapid muscle atrophy, often within two to three weeks. The stiffness is expected and treatable. Joint mobilization, stretching and progressive strengthening usually restore most motion over several weeks of consistent therapy.
Q: Do I need a referral to see a physical therapist in New Jersey?
A: New Jersey and Connecticut both allow direct access to physical therapy, so many patients start without a referral. After a fracture we still coordinate with your surgeon on weight-bearing precautions. Some insurance plans request a referral, so call ahead to confirm.
Q: Is there a SportsMed clinic near me in Essex or Hudson County?
A: Yes. SportsMed has Essex County clinics in Newark, Belleville, Bloomfield, Montclair, West Orange and Maplewood, and Hudson County clinics in Bayonne, Harrison, Jersey City, North Bergen, Union City and West New York. Our location finder lists hours for all sites.
Q: What if my fracture needed surgery with plates or screws?
A: Surgical fixation usually allows earlier motion, and rehabilitation follows the same phases with tighter precautions. Your therapist works from the surgeon’s protocol, protects the incision, restores range first, then builds strength. Standard post-operative rehabilitation principles apply here as well, and hardware rarely limits long-term function.
Getting back to full strength after a break takes more than waiting for bone to heal. SportsMed therapists build a plan around your fracture, your surgeon’s precautions and your goals.
Book an appointment at a New Jersey or Connecticut clinic near you.Reviewed by the SportsMed Physical Therapy clinical team. Last updated: August 2026.