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Fractures -
Homeopathic Treatment of Fractures
When a bone breaks it is called a fracture. Breaking a
bone can be a big deal but it happens to lots of kids
and adults. My seven year old son was introduced to an
orthopedic surgeon when he was taken to the emergency
room with his first broken bone, a spiral fracture in
his tibia bone (lower leg). This event prompted me to
write about fractures and how Homeopathic medicines can
help a little child or even an adult heal faster with
the minimum pain.
To understand why bones
break, it helps to know what bones do and what they are
made of. There are 206 bones in the body that form the
human skeleton, which supports and protects the softer
parts of the body. Bones are living tissue. They grow
rapidly during one's early years, and renew themselves
when they are broken.
Bones are made up of bone cells, proteins, and
minerals, like
calcium. Your
diet has a big effect on the strength and health of
your bones. Because of their unique structure, bones can
bear large amounts of weight.
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From a sudden high
impact injury - often a fall or an accident.
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Any bone disease will
make the bone weak and fragile increasing the tendency
for fractures.
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Osteoporosis - that is
loss of bone mass due to old age, not enough physical
activity and hormonal imbalance can make the bones too
soft to survive injury.
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A rare disease called
Osteogenesis Imperfecta is a birth defect in which the
tissue forming the bone does not develop properly,
resulting in abnormally weak bones making them
vulnerable to fractures.
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Tumors in bone, both
benign and malignant (cancerous), can replace healthy
tissue and weaken bones, making them more vulnerable
to fracture.
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Cancer treatments like
Chemotherapy can cause bones to weaken leading to bone
fractures.
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Nutritional
deficiencies, such as rickets, in which the body does
not absorb enough vitamin D, can weaken bones. Those
who are underweight also risk loosing bone mass and
strength, as low body weight causes the body to stop
producing estrogen. Young women who suffer from severe
weight loss or anorexia may develop osteoporosis as
early as their 20's, and bones may remain thin and
weak even after recovery.
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Runners or tennis
players may experience stress fractures, in which
fatigued muscles transfer stress to the bone,
gradually causing a tiny crack to form.
A break can be anything
from a hairline fracture (a thin break in the bone) to
the bone being broken into two or more pieces. The break
can be directly across the width, lengthwise, obliquely
or spirally.
The two main types of
fractures are:
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Closed or simple
fracture: where the bone is broken but skin is intact.
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Open or compound
fracture is when the bone protrudes through the
skin, creating a risk of infection to both the
skin and the bone.
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These two fractures are
further classified into the following different types:
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A complete fracture is
when the bone has broken into two pieces.
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A greenstick fracture is
an incomplete fracture when the bone cracks one side
only, not all the way through.
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A single fracture is
when the bone is broken in one place.
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A comminuted fracture is
when the bone is broken into more than two pieces or
crushed.
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A spiral fracture when
the break spirals around the bone, common in twisting
injury.
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A transverse fracture
where the break is in a straight line across the bone.
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A bending fracture which
only happens in kids, is when the bone bends but
doesn't break, producing deformity.
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A displaced
fracture is when the bone has moved out of alignment.
When bones are
fractured, they expose internal organs to injury as
well; injured vertebrae can harm the delicate spinal
cord; a broken rib can damage chest organs such as the
heart or lungs.
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A fractured
limb will be swollen, bruised, tender, and immobile.
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Pain could be from a deep
ache to a very sharp pain, and is made worse by
movement.
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Obvious deformity in the
injured area.
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The fractured person may
feel faint or nauseous.
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Blood loss sometimes may
also lead to shock.
Conventional Treatment
The following treatments
are used for various types of fractures.
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Elevation of the injured
part to reduce bleeding and swelling
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Splint/cast – to
immobilize the injured area to encourage bone alignment
and healing
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Medication (for pain
control)
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Traction – is the
application of a force to stretch the muscles and
tendons around the broken bone to allow the bone ends to
align and heal. Traction consists of pulleys, strings,
weights, and a metal frame attached over or on the bed
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Surgery - to put certain
types of broken bones back into place. Internal fixation
(metal rods or pins located inside the bone) or external
fixation devices (metal rods or pins located outside of
the body) are used to hold the bone fragments in place
to allow alignment and healing
Homeopathic Approach to
Fractures
Homeopathy provides many
significant medicines in treating people who suffer from
accidents and injuries. When these medicines are used in
combination with conventional procedures, the risk of
long-term damage from an injury can be significantly
decreased and the healing process can be noticeably
improved. Homeopathic medicines will help build and
maintain a healthy, resilient skeleton that can support
and speed up healing over the fractured site by
enhancing circulation, can also be used as an antiseptic
to avoid infections in case of open fractures. Patients
treated homeopathically experience less pain, have fewer
side effects, and recover faster. The goal of this
Homeopathic approach is to enliven the body's natural
healing and self-repair ability to not only help recover
your fracture, but also create the highest state of
health and well-being. Homeopathic remedies are also
non–habit forming and have no addictive characteristics.
Preventing Fractures
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Adequate amounts of calcium are needed to develop and
maintain healthy bones.
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Bones also get stronger and denser with regular but not
excessive exercise esp. weight bearing exercises
such as running, walking or sports, which can be
modified according to your age.
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Children are recommended to take 800 mg of calcium
daily, adolescents should take in 1300 mg of calcium
daily. Women are recommended to take 1000 mg daily; and
men and women above the age of 50 are recommended to
take in 1200 mg of calcium daily.
Hence, homeopathic treatment along with conventional
procedures should be considered for healthy and fast
healing of bones, and restoring normal muscle strength,
joint motion and flexibility.
Where Can I Learn More?
Contact the AMCH Clinic or
Neepa Sevak if you are interested in scheduling an
appointment.
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About the author:
Neepa Sevak
(DHMS, DHom, DIHom, DHM, CCH, RSHom (NA), HMA)
is registered with the Arizona Homeopathic Board of
Medical Examiners, and certified by the Council of
Homeopathic certification. She is currently practicing
Classical Homeopathy and is on the Board of
International Affairs at the American Medical College of
Homeopathy. Her mission is to “Promote Health through
Homeopathy with a Holistic, Totalistic, and
Individualistic approach”.
Phone: (480) 363 0758
Email:
homeopathiccure@cox.net
Website:
www.homeopathic-cure.com
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