How to eat to recover faster after a fracture? Please keep this dietary guide!

Many fracture patients and their families often ask our doctors questions like "Are there any dietary restrictions?" and "What diet should I follow to help bones grow better after conservative and surgical treatment?"

Today, the spine surgery up master of Hunan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine transformed into a food blogger to explain to everyone what you should eat and how to replenish your body after a fracture!

Generally, fractures are simply divided into three stages: early (1-2 weeks after fracture), middle (2-4 weeks after fracture), and late (more than 4 weeks after fracture). According to the characteristics of the fracture repair process and physical changes, different foods are used in different stages for scientific conditioning. While fully promoting hematoma absorption and callus formation, it can also effectively improve the loss of appetite and constipation of fracture patients.

1. Early stage of fracture

In the early stages of a fracture, the patient will experience unbearable pain, loss of appetite, poor circulation of Qi and blood, and blood stasis in the injured area. In principle, the diet during this period should focus on promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, promoting Qi movement and relieving pain.

It is advisable to eat low-fat, light, delicious, and easily digestible semi-liquid food (such as lotus root powder, porridge, appropriate lean meat, fish, and fungus); avoid spicy, stimulating, fatty, and greasy foods (such as roast chicken, pig's trotters, barbecue, malatang, etc.).

2. Middle stage of fracture

During the 2-4 weeks after the fracture, the swelling and bruises gradually disappear. During this period, the diet should focus on bone and tendon healing, blood stasis removal and new growth. The diet should be changed from a bland diet to a proper high-nutrition supplement to promote callus healing and wound recovery.

Many people often mistakenly believe that they should eat high-fat, high-nutrition foods such as chicken, duck, and beef bones on the first day after a fracture, which is a misunderstanding.

It is advisable to eat foods rich in protein, vitamins and calcium (such as tomatoes, black sesame seeds, shrimps, milk, tofu, fish, eggs, and animal liver); avoid overeating and excessive calorie intake.

3. Late stage of fracture

The blood stasis has basically dissipated and the callus has grown. The dietary principle during this period should be to nourish the qi and blood, liver and kidney, and strengthen the tendons and bones. There are no absolute dietary taboos. A high-protein, high-calorie, high-calcium diet can be given to promote the body's recovery and supplement nutrition.

It is suitable to eat chicken, pork bone soup, beef, mutton, stewed fish, egg yolks, vegetables and fruits, etc.

Precautions

1. Many people think that tofu is an allergenic food, but it is not.

The so-called "fawu" generally refers to some foods that are rich in nutrition or irritation, which are particularly likely to induce certain diseases, such as old diseases, or aggravate existing diseases and weaken the effectiveness of medicines. The word "fa" can be understood as "induce, trigger, and help trigger."

In traditional Chinese medicine, tofu is sweet and neutral in nature, and has the effects of replenishing qi, promoting body fluid and quenching thirst, and clearing the intestines. Tofu is rich in calcium and can be eaten in the early, middle and late stages of fracture to promote fracture healing.

2. Drinking plenty of water is important

Fracture patients generally have limited mobility and indigestion, and drinking less water can easily aggravate constipation. At the same time, some fracture patients need to stay in bed strictly, or even stay in bed for a long time. Drinking more water is also conducive to maintaining smooth urination and reducing the incidence of urinary retention.

Source: Department of Spine Surgery, Hunan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine

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(Edited by YT)