What you will find in this article
Recovery from a fracture is a rather humbling experience. With you having to just sit and wait for the bone to heal, it doesn’t leave much room for control. Even though there is a guarantee that broken bones always attempt to heal even without the intervention of doctors, sometimes external assistance is needed.
In this article, we shall point out the multitude of ways that the healing of bone can be speeded up.
what does speeding up bone healing mean?
There is a general consensus from different research papers and academic literature with quotations of estimated healing times for different bones in different regions all over the body.
Bones may fail to heal in an expected period of time. This is termed delayed union while nonunion is when they completely fail to unite.
These kinds of scenarios are what normally call for intervention in acceleration bone healing. However, you may not always need to wait for a nonunion to occur, some behavior and diet can really boost your healing potential.
Foods that speed up bone healing
Food is very integral to our general well being. when it comes to bone healing, some foods are superior.
Foods rich in protein, vitamin D, calcium, phosphates and vitamin C are crucial in the bone healing process.
In this article, we share the different foods that are rich in those respective nutrients and how they help bones.
Drugs and supplements that speed up bone healing
In this subclass, I will divide them into those that you will definitely have to take when recovering from a broken bone and those that may come in as “salvage” options.
- Automatic supplements
Calcium and vitamin D supplements. These should be taken by all individuals going through new bone formation as is the case following treatment for fractures as they will boost the expected daily intake.
- Salvage treatment
These should not be self-prescribed and should only be taken after a prescription has been issued from the doctor.
- Parathyroid hormone analogs like teriparatide. The parathyroid hormone is produced by parathyroid glands that sit just behind your thyroid glands in the neck. This hormone is very vital in the metabolism of calcium in the bone and will often be administered when the bone is heading toward nonunion.
2. Bisphosphonates are a group of drugs that prevent the breakdown of bone. They are commonly used in patients with osteoporosis which is a condition characterized by brittle bones.
Osteoporosis is most common in the elderly population but can also be found in sedentary young people. The timing of initiation of these drugs though is very important and this is something you will have to discuss with your doctor.
Surgery that speeds up bone healing
Just like medication, some surgeries will be done to stimulate healing in a broken bone that has gone into some state of latency. Surgery should be considered after all other factors have been excluded.
The surgical alternatives include;
- Bone grafting at the fracture site. Bone grafting refers to the implantation of healthy bone from one site to another. The bone graft carries with it active chemicals that are able to revive the process of bone healing.
- Exchange nailing. Exchange nailing is a type of intramedullary nailing where an intramedullary rod is exchanged for another one when a bone is refusing to heal.
- Dynamization is also done in bones fixed with intramedullary nailing where one of the bolts used to secure the nail is removed in order to allow a bit of movement between the bone fragments which ultimately may help with bone healing.
Lifestyle changes that speed up bone healing
- Quit smoking
Smoking is bad for bone health! The national osteoporosis foundation recommends avoiding smoking as a measure to prevent osteoporosis.
- Stay Active
Once your doctor clears you to start activities, keep up the active lifestyle. The more you load your bone, the faster and stronger it will heal.
In conclusion, bones almost always heal if the conditions are favorable. In some cases, however, there may be a need to adjust the diet, supplements intake, lifestyle, or even have a repeat surgery in order to accelerate the healing of a bone.
