Bone & recovery
Fracture Rehabilitation | North Vancouver
Once the cast comes off, the hard part is getting the stiff, weak limb working again. We pick up where the bone-healing leaves off, guided by your physician's clearance and never ahead of it.
What it is
Understanding your fracture rehab.
A fracture is a break, crack, or disruption in a bone, anything from a hairline stress fracture to a complete, displaced break. It usually announces itself with immediate pain, swelling, bruising, and trouble moving or putting weight through the area. Some fractures are obvious from a visible deformity or a limb sitting in an abnormal position; others are far less apparent. Bones can break anywhere, and healing depends on the fragments lining up and being protected long enough to knit back to full strength. At Medstar Sport Physio in North Vancouver, we assess and treat this through a one-on-one physiotherapy appointment, confirming the pattern and building a plan from there. We see patients from across Vancouver and the North Shore, many of whom cross Lions Gate Bridge or take the SeaBus for treatment here.
Most fractures come from trauma: a fall, a sports collision, a car crash, or a direct blow. Others build up over time, and stress fractures from repetitive loading are common in runners and athletes. Bone health is part of the story too, with osteoporosis, poor nutrition, or previous fractures leaving bone more vulnerable to breaking in the first place.
Where physiotherapy fits is the recovery, not the break itself. The fracture is managed first by your physician, who sets it, immobilizes it, and sometimes fixes it surgically. While the bone heals under a cast or brace, the surrounding muscles weaken, nearby joints stiffen, and movement patterns change. Rehab restores all of that, on a timeline set by how the bone is healing.
What to expect
Bone healing runs on its own clock, commonly six to twelve weeks before a fracture is solid enough for real loading, longer for some bones and for surgically repaired breaks. Rehab tracks that timeline closely: early on we protect and gently mobilize within whatever your physician permits, then build range, strength, and function once you're cleared. We coordinate with your surgeon or family doctor throughout and never advance load ahead of medical clearance. Recovery of full strength and confidence often continues for weeks beyond the point the bone is technically healed, and that's normal.
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Common questions
About fracture rehab.
When can I start physiotherapy after a fracture?
Physio begins once your treating physician confirms the fracture is healing well and clears the area for movement. For some fractures that means gentle work on surrounding joints even while you're still in a cast; for others it's only after the cast comes off. We always work to your doctor's or surgeon's instructions and weight-bearing status, so we don't get ahead of the bone.
My cast is off but the limb feels weak and stiff. Is that normal?+
Completely normal. Weeks of immobilization predictably leave the muscles wasted, the nearby joints stiff, and the limb feeling foreign to use. That's exactly what rehab is for: restoring range first, then rebuilding strength and confidence in a graded way so the limb returns to doing what you need it to.
I broke a bone in a car accident: is rehab covered by ICBC?+
Yes. Physiotherapy after a fracture sustained in a motor vehicle accident is covered under ICBC's Enhanced Care model. Bring your claim number to your first visit once your physician has cleared you to begin rehab, and we'll handle the billing directly. As with any fracture, our plan follows your treating physician's weight-bearing status exactly, starting with gentle, permitted range-of-motion work and progressing to staged strengthening once you're cleared for loading.
What about a fracture from a workplace fall?+
If the fracture happened at work, your rehabilitation is typically covered through WorkSafeBC. We can treat under an accepted claim and coordinate the reporting. Bring your claim details, and as with any fracture we start once your treating physician has given the go-ahead. From there, care follows your physician's weight-bearing status exactly, with gentle motion work first and a staged strengthening program once you're cleared to load the healed bone.
Can a fracture happen without a fall or accident?+
Yes. Stress fractures build up over time from repetitive loading rather than a single trauma, and are common in runners and athletes. Bone health also plays a role: osteoporosis, poor nutrition, or a previous fracture can leave bone more vulnerable to breaking in the first place, even without a dramatic fall or collision.
Will a leg or ankle fracture leave me unsteady on my feet?+
It can, which is why balance, coordination, and functional retraining are part of fracture rehab. Weeks of immobilization change how you move and can leave you favouring the injured leg or ankle. We rebuild the coordination and confidence needed to walk and move normally again, alongside the strength and range work.
What does a fracture rehab session actually involve?+
Once your physician clears you, a fracture rehab session includes staged strengthening to rebuild the muscle that wasted during immobilization, manual therapy to free up stiffness and soft-tissue tightness left by the cast or brace, and guidance on pain management such as ice or heat. We also make sure any cast, splint, or brace you're still using is fitted and used correctly.
My bone is healed. Why doesn't the limb feel back to normal yet?+
That's normal after a fracture. Recovery of full strength and confidence often continues for weeks beyond the point the bone is technically healed, because the muscles and joints around a fracture take longer to rebuild than the bone itself takes to knit. We keep progressing your strength and function on that slower timeline rather than stopping once the bone alone is cleared.
Reviewed by Amir Ahmadi, PhD, MSc PT, Registered Physiotherapist, Certified IMS Therapist, College of Physical Therapists of British Columbia (CPTBC). Last reviewed July 2026.
This page is for general information only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Individual presentations vary, and assessment findings and treatment plans differ from person to person. If you are experiencing severe symptoms, neurological changes (numbness, weakness, bowel or bladder changes), or a significant trauma, contact your physician or emergency services. Physiotherapy at Medstar Sport Physio & Health is provided by physiotherapists registered with the College of Physical Therapists of British Columbia (CPTBC).
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