Our body does an amazing job mending itself in the wake of a fracture, but this process won’t happen overnight. The bone remodeling process oftentimes takes weeks or months, but many patients are surprised to learn that they can actually help this process along if they are smart about some of their habits and lifestyle choices during the recovery phase. In today’s blog, we explore some of the ways that you can help bones heal faster following a foot fracture.

Keys To Faster Bone Recovery

The following tips aren’t going to shave weeks off your recovery timeline, but if you’re an athlete working to rejoin your teammates before the season ends or an employee hoping to return to your job, healing even a couple days faster can make a big difference. Here are some of the ways you can provide an ideal environment for bone healing to run its course:

• Rest/Stress Protection – In the immediate short-term, you’re going to want to protect your foot from additional trauma. Continuing to stress the area can lead to prolonged inflammation, enhanced swelling or even a worsening fracture. You’re not going to be able to lay in bed for weeks and experience ideal bone healing, but your foot will benefit from some short-term rest and stress protection during the early stages of recovery.
• Healthy Diet – Your diet is very important when working to overcome a foot fracture. Consuming a well-rounded diet ensures that your body has access to key vitamins and nutrients that promote blood clotting and bone remodeling, which can speed up fracture healing. Moreover, there’s a good chance you’ll be less active as you’re healing from the broken bone, and if you pair inactivity with a poor diet, there’s a good chance you’ll gain weight, and that will only put more stress on your injured feet.
• Supplements – If you’re struggling to get your daily recommended nutrient intake, you can help the process along by taking supplements or a multi-vitamin. Supplements high in Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin K and calcium have been shown to promote ideal bone development and regrowth after a fracture.
• Limit Caffeine, Alcohol and Tobacco – You will also want to go easy on some substances that can have a negative effect on fracture site healing. Smoking inhibits proper blood circulation, and your bones need a healthy dose of oxygenated blood to help mend a break. Alcohol and even caffeine consumption can impact vitamin and mineral absorption in the body, so mind your intake if you’re hoping to make a strong and speedy recovery.
• Exercise/PT – As we mentioned above, you’re not going to make the fastest recovery sitting around doing nothing. As healing progresses, you’ll want to take on more physical activity. This will improve circulation and work to strengthen supportive muscles, tendons and ligaments that may have weakened as a result of limited activity. Controlled exercise or rehabilitative physical therapy exercises can also help to ensure your conditioning and stamina return to pre-injury levels ahead of your return to athletics or employment. Just make sure that any exercises are approved by your treating physician, as pushing your fracture foot too soon can lead to a major setback.

We want you to make the strongest and fastest recovery possible following a foot fracture, and we’d be more than happy to help that process along. If you need assistance with a diagnosis or developing an individualized recovery program, let Dr. McDonald and his team assist. For help treating all your new or existing foot and ankle issues, reach out to Dr. McDonald’s office today at (860) 244-8889.