Reclaiming Mobility through Physiotherapy: A Single Case Study on Post-Traumatic Elbow Stiffness

A 44-year-old man who works as a legal advisor sustained a fall on his outstretched hand while participating in sports. Once the patient self-adjusted the elbow in a sling, he went to a nearby hospital for additional care, where an orthopedic surgeon performed reduction on the elbow joint and fitted a plaster of paris (POP) cast that lasted for 3 weeks. Following the removal of the cast, the patient visits our physiotherapy department, mostly complaining of pain, stiffness, and activity limitation. Upon examination, it was observed that elbow flexion, extension, supination, and pronation were all limited. Pronator teres weakness was also observed in conjunction with biceps brachii tightness. For rehabilitation, we provided care for 5 weeks in our OPD. The physiotherapy intervention comprised a holistic approach to manage the condition by incorporating exercise therapy, manual therapy, electrotherapy, ergonomic advises, and patient self-care.