Every year, one in 3 adults over the age of 65 fall. A hip fracture resulting from a fall is a significant injury which usually requires an operation to fix.
Fortunately, not all falls are severe enough to break (fracture) the hip bone. There may be bruising and swelling around the hip which may cause pain and stiffness.
Before you leave the Emergency Department, we will ensure that you can still walk and check if you need any additional walking aids.
What we have found
An x-ray has been taken which did not show a broken hip and your injury has been treated as a sprain or bruising.
What you can do – how to help after discharge
Pain relief
Your doctor may prescribe medications to help with the pain. These may include paracetamol, codeine or an anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen or naproxen.
Ice
For the first 24 hours after your injury, it may be helpful to apply ice packs wrapped in a towel to the affected area for 10 – 20 minutes, three or four times per day. This may help reduce the swelling and pain.
Increase activity
You should keep moving as much as you can. A stick, frame or crutches may be provided to help with walking.
What happened if my pain persists
Sometimes, initial x-rays may not show a hip fracture. Unfortunately, one patient in every 20 patients with normal x-rays will have a fracture which we cannot initially see.
You should come back to the Emergency Department if your pain is not improving, or you are struggling to walk on your injured leg despite the treatment advised in this leaflet. A repeat x-ray or a scan may be done, if necessary.