Electrical stimulation for bone healing, which is done in Turkey, expedites healing in fractured bone by sending noninvasive pulses that aid in fracture healing.
Suffering from a fracture in any part of the skeletal structure will hinder the patient from performing daily tasks, especially in the upper or lower limbs, due to immobilization and the inability to move them, leaving the patient wondering when this fracture will heal. When will I return to my everyday life? Will the fracture heal entirely or leave a mark?
In this article, we will review a set of effective tips and guidelines based on the latest studies and medical research in this field that can help enhance the healing process of bones quickly and efficiently.
Accelerating bone healing
Fractures typically heal within a range of six weeks to six months, depending on the type and location of the fracture. In younger ages, fractures heal faster (in children) due to the rapid bone renewal ability they possess.
Bone renewal takes longer in older individuals or those with certain chronic diseases, such as diabetes. Thus, fractures take a longer period than usual to heal.
To reduce recovery time after a fracture and accelerate the healing process of the fractured bones, one must strictly follow the doctor’s instructions without any negligence.
Stages of bone healing
Formation Stage:
- This stage begins a few days after the fracture occurs and is characterized by the formation of fibrous cartilage at the fracture site.
- This cartilage stabilizes the broken bones and serves as a foundation for new bone growth.
Repair Stage:
- This stage starts a few weeks after the fracture occurs and is marked by the replacement of fibrous cartilage with new bone.
- New bone grows from the ends of the broken bones and gradually connects to one another.
Remodeling Stage:
- This is the final stage of bone healing, beginning a few months after the fracture.
- This stage is characterized by the replacement of irregular new bone with strong, normal bone.
- This phase may take several months or even years to complete.
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Causes of delayed bone healing
Age: Fractures in children heal faster than those in adults.
Nutrition: Poor nutrition can delay the healing process of bones.
Infection: Infection in the wound affects the healing process.
Smoking: Smoking delays the speed of bone healing.
Tips for accelerating bone healing
After a fracture occurs, with pain and swelling in the area, inflammatory mediators stimulate bone cells to proliferate and build new bone material for fracture healing. To expedite this process, some primary conditions must be met:
Realignment of bones to their natural position
Some fractures do not change the bone positions but only cause fissures. In such cases, healing is faster; we must maintain the bone position until it heals.
Simple fractures are referred to as previous fractures. Complex fractures involve a change in the positions of the bones and may overlap, necessitating surgical intervention and the insertion of metal components to restore them to their original position.
Fixation of bones
This is done by applying a splint or placing metal rods and screws in the bones through a surgical procedure to maintain their position so that the bone fracture heals correctly (sometimes surgery is required).
This stage is the most difficult for a bone fracture patient due to their inability to move their limb freely. In addition to the disability, they suffer when performing daily tasks such as entering the bathroom.
Good nutrition
This is achieved through eating healthy foods such as lean meats, vegetables, and fruits, as well as foods containing vitamins and minerals that contribute to bone-building.
The most important nutritional components for accelerating bone healing are those containing calcium and vitamin D due to their importance in bone formation in all growth stages or bone renewal after fractures.
Therefore, consuming essential foods containing calcium during the recovery period from the fracture helps accelerate injury treatment and bone healing. Milk is one such food, and it contains calcium and vitamin D, which accelerates healing time.
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Quitting alcohol and smoking
Smoking and alcohol are detrimental to the bone healing process (a cause of delayed bone healing) as they slow down bone and fracture healing. Fracture healing in patients addicted to alcohol or smoking takes longer than ordinary people. Therefore, quitting them helps recovery better.
In addition to the above, some additional treatments may help accelerate bone healing or restore the limb to its function as it was before the injury and fracture. These treatments include physical therapy or natural therapy in Turkey, which helps in rehabilitating the limb through special exercises under the supervision of specialized doctors in this field.
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Vitamins and foods that aid bone healing:
Milk and Dairy Products: Such as cheese and yogurt.
Fish: Such as sardines and salmon.
Seeds and Nuts: Such as sesame seeds and almonds.
Egg Yolk
Leafy Green Vegetables: Such as spinach, kale, and broccoli.
Medications that help bone healing:
- Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
- Teriparatide
Herbs that help bone healing:
Symphytum
Lepidium sativum
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Electrical stimulation for bone fracture healing in Turkey
The process of bone fracture healing relies on chemical signals between cells. These signals stimulate bone cells and induce them to proliferate, produce bone material, and fix minerals on the bones to make them hard and strong again.
The electrical stimulation device (TENS unit for bone healing) sends small electrical pulses that the patient does not feel through small sensors placed on the skin or through a device wrapped around the injured limb (the patient may feel some tingling sometimes).
These electrical pulses activate bone cells and accelerate the signaling chain between cells, helping heal the fractured bone and heal the fracture site faster.
Electrical stimulation for fracture healing is a modern technique in treatment and is safe, non-invasive, and cost-effective with a high success rate when used correctly by professionals.
These pulses are applied by placing opposing electrodes on the limb where bone cells are to be stimulated. These electrodes are connected to a battery that passes a low voltage that the patient does not feel but performs electrical stimulation.
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Cases that benefit from electrical stimulation
Unfortunately, not all patients benefit from electrical stimulators for fractured bones, as there are fractures that benefit significantly from this device (TENS unit for broken bones), while there are other cases where its benefit is minimal. Electrical stimulation is helpful in patients with fractures that are difficult to heal or require a very long time to heal, such as leg fractures.
While its benefit is less in patients with typically uncomplicated fractures that heal within their specified time, bone healing in these cases is through immobilizing the limb after being forced and adhering to good nutrition.
Among the cases that benefit significantly from electrical stimulation to accelerate bone healing are the following:
- Open fractures: These are fractures in which the skin tears and the broken bone piece protrudes and becomes visible.
- Stress fractures are small fractures and fissures in the bone that result from continuous pressure (such as fractures of the foot bones in dancers) or may occur as a result of some bone diseases, such as osteoporosis.
- Scaphoid bone fracture: This is a fracture of the wrist bone that is usually challenging to heal.
- Calcaneus fracture: This is a fracture of the heel bone and is also difficult to heal.
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Electrical stimulation fracture healing is a modern technique that stimulates bone cells to increase their proliferation and production of bone material. Therefore, it theoretically provides an essential benefit in treating fractures. Practically and through many studies, its benefit has been shown in accelerating the healing of some types of fractures clearly, with a decrease in its effectiveness in treating other fractures. Therefore, its use is determined by the specialist doctor who knows how to use it properly and correctly.
This method is used in Turkey. Contact us for a free consultation to know whether electrical stimulation will help accelerate the healing of your fractured bones or not. The center will provide you with an opportunity for treatment in Turkey by experienced doctors and in the latest hospitals equipped with advanced technologies at discounted prices.
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References:
- Electrical Stimulating For Bone Healing. North American Spine Society.
- Electrical Stimulation of Bone: The Evolving Technology. CLINICAL PODIATRY.
