The Effect of Early Physical Therapy Intervention Following Elbow Fracture in a Postmenopausal Female with Multiple Medical Problems

Abstract

Achievement of optimal level of functioning of a patient or client must be one of the main goals of any physical therapy intervention. To achieve this, the physical therapist must look at the interaction of multiple body systems, evaluate and identify disabilities and impairments based on these interactions, and design treatment plans that treat the person as a whole. This evaluation may become complex as the clinician recognizes the significant contribution of associated medical conditions and risk factors in the individual's prognosis and expected outcomes. This case report illustrates the importance of these concepts in the optimal rehabilitation of an individual who sustained an elbow fracture with displacement, and has numerous preexisting medical conditions and risk factors that at the outset may appear to be significant complicating factors in her progress following therapy. Central to her achievement of favorable results included early medical and physical therapy intervention. Key components of the therapeutic intervention include AROM/ PROM to the joint, appropriate scar tissue mobilization and steady progress into functional activities. From the therapist's perspective, it was important to address the injury at hand as well as the various comorbidities affecting the main problem. From the standpoint of the subject, empowerment of the individual to her own health and well-being provided the necessary motivation to achieve optimal function.