# Broken upper arm

- Web page: https://kainezitherapy.com/en/conditions/shoulder/humerus-fracture/
- Body area: [Shoulder](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/conditions/shoulder.md)
- Recommended treatment:
  - [Kinesitherapy for injuries](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/services/kinesitherapy/kinesitherapy-for-injuries.md): €40.00, 60 min
  - [Combined physiotherapy](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/services/physiotherapy/combined-physiotherapy.md): €25.00, 30 min
  - [Post-operative rehabilitation](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/services/kinesitherapy/post-operative-rehabilitation.md): €40.00, 60 min
- Address: 10 Popovo Street, Lozenets, Sofia, 1409
- Opening hours: Mon - Fri | 9:00 - 19:00
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- Book online: https://superdoc.bg/lekar/kaloyan-zarkov
- Booking page: https://kainezitherapy.com/en/appointments/

Broken upper arm (humerus fracture): most often at the top, by the shoulder, after a fall. It hurts badly, bruises and the arm is hard to lift.

## At a glance

- **How it feels** Severe pain, a large bruise and an arm that won’t lift
- **How long treatment takes** Usually 5–10 sessions, after the cast or brace comes off
- **Surgery** Sometimes if the pieces have shifted; an orthopaedic doctor decides

A broken upper arm (humerus fracture) is a break in the long bone between the shoulder and the elbow. Most often it is at the upper end, by the shoulder joint, and people then speak of a “broken shoulder” or a “fractured neck of the humerus”. Less often the bone breaks in the middle or near the elbow. A broken upper arm is common in older people after a fall. Kaloyan Zarkov works with patients after a broken shoulder and upper arm at the practice in the Lozenets district and at home.

## Symptoms

- Severe pain in the shoulder or upper arm straight after the fall.
- You can’t lift the arm and support it with the other hand.
- Swelling and a large bruise, which after a few days may spread down to the elbow and chest.
- The shoulder or upper arm looks deformed if the bone has shifted.
- Numbness or weakness in the arm and wrist.

The bruise running down the arm looks alarming, but it is common with this fracture. After the brace comes off, the shoulder is usually very stiff. It is hard to lift the arm above your head, put it behind your back or dress yourself.

## Why it happens

- A fall onto an outstretched hand or straight onto the shoulder.
- Bones that weaken with age (osteoporosis), so that even a minor fall can break the bone.
- A direct blow, a road accident or a sports injury.

The fracture is confirmed by X-ray, and sometimes a CT scan is needed too. The orthopaedic doctor decides how to treat it: with a brace (orthosis) or a bandage that holds the arm still if the bone is in place, or with surgery if the pieces have shifted. The orthopaedic doctor also decides when the shoulder can start moving. While a joint doesn’t move it stiffens, so getting it moving at the right time matters.

## How we treat it

Rehabilitation starts right after the cast or brace comes off. Until then, it’s important to move the fingers, wrist and elbow, and the shoulder when the orthopaedic doctor allows it. Bring the discharge summary from the hospital, your X-rays and the orthopaedic doctor’s instructions. Kaloyan checks how far the shoulder moves, your muscle strength and the pain. The doctor’s timelines are always followed, and when needed Kaloyan contacts the orthopaedic doctor.

The foundation is [kinesitherapy for injuries](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/services/kinesitherapy/kinesitherapy-for-injuries/) (exercise and manual therapy), and the work goes in stages. First come device-based physiotherapy and manual therapy, that is, Kaloyan loosening the shoulder with his hands. With [Combined physiotherapy](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/services/physiotherapy/combined-physiotherapy/), Kaloyan picks the devices at the practice that suit you, for example to ease the pain. Then come passive-active movements: you move the arm yourself, and Kaloyan takes the movement further than you can on your own. Last are the active exercises for strength, for lifting the arm above your head and for the movements you need in daily life. The aim is for the shoulder not to stay stiff, as happens in [frozen shoulder](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/conditions/shoulder/frozen-shoulder/).

If the fracture was operated on, the work is [post-operative rehabilitation](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/services/kinesitherapy/post-operative-rehabilitation/) within the surgeon’s timelines. If you’re older and getting to the practice is hard, Kaloyan can come to you with [home visits](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/services/consultations-and-programs/home-visits/). You leave with a few exercises for home, shown and explained. Usually 5–10 sessions are needed, depending on the fracture and how long the shoulder was immobilised.

## What you can do yourself

- While you’re wearing the brace, move your fingers, wrist and elbow several times a day.
- Wear the brace for as long as the orthopaedic doctor said, and don’t take it off sooner.
- Don’t lift or carry anything heavy with that arm until the orthopaedic doctor allows it.
- If you find it hard to sleep, try sleeping half-sitting, with a pillow under the elbow. Kaloyan will show you the exercises that suit you.

## When to see a doctor first

See a doctor first, or call your orthopaedic doctor, if:

- you can’t lift your wrist or fingers, or the arm is numb;
- your fingers are cold, pale or blue;
- the pain gets worse instead of easing;
- the wound after surgery is red and warm, leaks fluid, or you have a temperature;
- you’ve fallen again or knocked the shoulder.

Performed by

## Kaloyan Zarkov, kinesitherapist

- Kinesitherapy degree, NSA “Vassil Levski”
- 10+ years of practice

[About us](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/about/)

## Frequently asked questions

### How long do you wear a brace for a broken shoulder?

The orthopaedic doctor decides. Usually a few weeks, depending on the type of fracture and how the bone heals on the follow-up X-rays.

### When is a broken upper arm operated on?

Usually when the pieces of bone have shifted. The orthopaedic doctor decides after the X-rays.

### When do the exercises start after a broken shoulder?

Straight after the brace or cast comes off, and for the shoulder sometimes earlier, if the orthopaedic doctor allows it. Until then, you move the fingers, wrist and elbow.

### Why does the bruise spread down to the elbow?

Blood from the fracture runs down the arm. With a broken upper arm this is common and not dangerous in itself.

### Will I be able to lift my arm above my head?

Not straight away. After the cast or brace comes off, the shoulder is usually so stiff that the arm won’t lift above the head. Movement returns gradually with rehabilitation and regular exercises, and sometimes a slight limitation remains, especially after more complicated fractures.

### Do I need a referral?

No, you don’t need a referral. Bring the discharge summary and your X-rays, so Kaloyan can see what the fracture was and how it was treated.

## Other conditions in “Shoulder”

[All about shoulder](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/conditions/shoulder/)

- [Shoulder pain](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/conditions/shoulder/shoulder-pain/)
- [Brachial plexitis](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/conditions/shoulder/plexitis/)
- [Frozen shoulder](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/conditions/shoulder/frozen-shoulder/)
- [Shoulder tendonitis and bursitis](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/conditions/shoulder/shoulder-tendinitis/)

## Want to improve your health?

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