How to keep joints healthy: treatment and prevention

Most people are well aware that good nutrition and a balanced diet are important components of overall health. However, people with back problems may be surprised to learn that diet, nutrition and maintaining a healthy weight also play an important role in back health - including preventing many problems and promoting rapid recovery from injury.

The bones, muscles and other structures in the spine need good nutrition and vitamins, and they must be strong enough to support the body and perform their specific functions.

Choosing the Right Foods for Optimal Nutrition

A balanced diet is very important, which includes a sufficient amount and variety of vitamins and nutrients, which helps reduce spinal problems by providing adequate nutrition to the bones, muscles, discs and other structures of the spine. Of particular note is calcium, which can be obtained through both healthy food choices and supplementation.

Spinal health requires many different vitamins, microelements and substances, but a number of the most important components can be identified.

Content

1. Mechanism of bone repair
2. Useful products for fractures
3. General principles of nutrition for fractures
4. Nutrition for a broken leg or spine
5. Nutrition for rib fractures
6. Nutrition for broken arm bones
7. Foods that slow down bone healing
8. Specialist help

A fracture is a complete or partial destruction of a bone. It becomes the result of excessive stress or a consequence of a decrease in bone strength due to certain diseases and age-related changes, leading to a decrease in bone density - osteoporosis.

Pumpkin seeds

All plant seeds contain enormous amounts of calcium and magnesium (and as you know, up to 50% of this mineral is located in the bone depot).

The most useful are pumpkin seeds.

One scientific study confirmed that pumpkin seeds help increase the number of osteoblasts and reduce the crowding of osteoclasts in bone tissue, which provides reliable prevention of osteoporosis and restores skeletal strength.

They should definitely be consumed by pregnant and lactating women to prevent osteoporosis (decreased bone density), as well as by children for active bone growth and teething.

The daily requirement of magnesium is about 400-420 mg for men and about 300-320 mg for women. Children under 14 years of age need 80 to 240 mg of magnesium. At the same time, 100 g of pumpkin seeds contain almost 600 mg of macronutrients, which completely covers the body’s daily requirement.

It is recommended to consume pumpkin seeds (and other plants) more often to maintain bone integrity, as they contain calcium and magnesium.

Mechanism of bone restoration after fracture

Bone consists of mineral (calcium, phosphorus, trace elements) and organic (collagen) substances. Mineral components provide strength, and organic components provide elasticity of the structure.

When a fracture occurs, not only the bone itself is damaged, but also surrounding tissues: muscles, ligaments, blood vessels, nerve fibers. This complicates and prolongs recovery.

Our body is capable of self-healing damaged tissues. As a result of this process, new tissue is formed, the so-called callus.

The mechanism of callus formation is based on cell division of the periosteum, endosteum (the inner part of the medullary canal of the tubular bone), bone marrow and choroid.

The speed of recovery depends on the individual characteristics of the person: age, health status, lifestyle.

Proper nutrition helps speed up tissue healing for bone fractures.

Beans and soybeans

Beans contain a significant amount of protein, starch, vitamins (A, B, C, K, PP, K) and mineral components. In terms of qualitative composition, beans practically correspond to cattle meat.

Soy provides the body with natural isoflavonoids, lecithin, and phytic acids. This set of nutrients creates the prerequisites for proper bone development in young children, and also helps prevent age-related decreases in bone density in older people.

Experiments on rats show that consumption of soybeans inhibits bone resorption and prevents the development of osteoporosis during the perimenopausal period.

Adding beans and soybeans to your daily diet has a beneficial effect on the health of the musculoskeletal system.

What to eat for fractures?

Thanks to proper nutrition, the general condition of the body improves and the restoration of muscle and bone tissue is accelerated. Food enriched with beneficial macro- and microelements promotes a speedy recovery.

Nutrition for a broken arm, leg, spine or ribs is no different. The main goal is to obtain the full amount of nutrients necessary for recovery.

Grocery list:

• Protein – fish, eggs, milk, lean meats, Nutrimun;
• Calcium - dairy products, fish (sardines and salmon), asparagus, carrots, seaweed, broccoli, celery, strawberries, gooseberries, grapes, currants and cherries;
• Vitamin D – fish oil, fish (cod and halibut), egg yolk, vegetable oil, liver;
• Vitamin C – sweet bell pepper, orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, tangerines;
• Vitamin K – beef, veal, tomatoes, green peas, carrots, strawberries, cauliflower;
• Folic acid and vitamin B6 - green leafy vegetables, broccoli and Brussels sprouts, seafood, liver, eggs, sunflower seeds;
• Zinc – products of animal origin, primarily fish, sunflower seeds, pumpkin, legumes;
• Phosphorus – sturgeon caviar, legumes, cheeses, beef liver, egg yolk, buckwheat, oatmeal, pumpkin and walnuts.;
• Potassium – dried apricots, milk, kefir, sour cream and other dairy products.

Cheese

Hard cheeses (Gouda, Cheddar, Parmesan), which contain 10-14 times more calcium than regular milk, have a wide range of beneficial properties.

Experts from the University of Granada claim that calcium normalizes metabolic processes in bone tissue, prevents resorption, and also improves the functioning of the entire musculoskeletal system. The amount of calcium in the diet is inversely proportional to the incidence of osteoporosis, cancer and cardiological diseases.

The World Health Organization recommends that an adult consume at least 6,500 g of cheese and products using it per year.

Cheese is a powerful source of calcium, which is essential for maintaining the anatomical and functional integrity of bones.

Diso Nutrimoon

Protein for treatment and rehabilitation
An easily digestible, tasteless protein mixture, a source of proteins and amino acids necessary for the body to fight illness, recover from injuries, illnesses and operations.

More details

Protein

When tissue damage occurs as a result of a bone fracture, the body loses large amounts of protein. If losses are not replenished through food, the body will consume proteins from its own tissues, primarily muscle tissue. The rehabilitation process will slow down significantly.

The diet should include food products containing a sufficient amount of complete protein: fish, eggs, milk, lean meats.

Since during limited physical activity it is necessary to reduce the caloric content of the diet, it is necessary to include in the diet an additional amount of easily digestible protein through the use of specialized products - SBCS.

This is also necessary because with a sedentary lifestyle, functional disorders of the digestive system are common and simply increasing the amount of food is not a solution to the problem.

It is also necessary to take care of the prevention of vitamin and microelement deficiency.

Milk-based vitamin drinks, such as energy berry smoothie, are very useful. It is recommended to drink a glass of this cocktail a day.

Calcium

Calcium serves as a building material for bones. If there is enough of it, the healing process goes quickly.

Sources of calcium include dairy products, fish (sardines and salmon), and a number of plant foods. The latter do not contain much calcium, but they contain substances that promote its best absorption. These are asparagus, carrots, seaweed, broccoli, celery, strawberries, gooseberries, grapes, currants and cherries.

Foods High in Calcium

Vitamins

Vitamin D

Promotes calcium absorption and bone tissue growth. Its sources: fish oil, fish (cod and halibut), egg yolk, vegetable oil, liver.

Vitamin C

Helps restore connective tissue. Its largest reserves are in sweet bell peppers and citrus fruits.

Vitamin K

Helps in regulating blood clotting by transporting calcium throughout the body. Contained in beef, veal, tomatoes, green peas, carrots, strawberries, cauliflower;

Folic acid and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)

needed for the formation of collagen bone structure. Folic acid is found in green leafy vegetables, broccoli and Brussels sprouts, and liver. The main sources of pyridoxine: seafood, liver, eggs, sunflower seeds.

Zinc

The purpose of zinc is to accelerate the growth of callus during a fracture. You can get it from animal products, primarily fish. Zinc is also found in sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and legumes.

Phosphorus

Phosphorus, like calcium, is involved in metabolic processes and promotes bone growth, including fractures. Its deficiency can lead to bone fragility. The body receives phosphorus from sturgeon caviar, legumes, cheese, beef liver and egg yolk. It is found in buckwheat and oatmeal, pumpkin and walnuts.

Potassium

Participates in the regeneration of bone tissue during fractures. Dried apricots and dairy products are especially rich in potassium.

Youthful joints

Unless you are the hero of the Hollywood movie Benjamin Button, then with age you are not in danger of rejuvenation.
Old age and wear and tear of the body is a natural and inevitable process, but it can and should be delayed as much as possible. Of course, some parts of the body easily respond to preventive and even corrective methods in the fight for youth. With joints, the situation is more global, more resource-intensive and more thorough. But it's worth it anyway. Why?

Because, in fact, we hold ourselves together on our joints. As long as you move painlessly and energetically, you are young. As long as your spine bends, you are young. As long as you don't shuffle the floor like Werther the robot, you're young. As long as you can calmly bend down to your toes without fear of being painfully stuck in this position, you are young. But without proper support, this condition will not last long. On average, by the age of 25, joints begin to age and lose elasticity. It sounds counterintuitive, but bodybuilders and professional athletes wear out their joints faster than the average person with average mobility.

So, in addition to honor, joints also need to be protected from a young age.

What does joint health depend on?

Lifestyle for strong joints

This is a whole range of measures to maintain the tone of the musculoskeletal system. First of all, nutrition, along with which the body must receive the necessary vitamins and minerals so that the vessels use this resource for as long as possible and maintain quality. Vitamins most valuable for joints and ligaments:

Drinking regime for healthy joints.

Water is a source of life-giving moisture for joint (synovial) fluid. The joint is isolated from the “external world”, there are no blood vessels in it, so the only source of nutrition for it is synovial fluid. Viscous, yellowish, acting as a shock absorber between cartilages. The quality of the fluid and the life expectancy of the joints depend on how well the body is provided with water.

Metabolism, hormones and joints

Weight and its fluctuations have a significant negative impact on joints. Just imagine the load on the legs of a person weighing 55 kg and 105 kg. The entire skeletal system, tendons, ligaments and muscles suffer. But not only from the physical pressure of extra pounds, but also from metabolic disorders. It is known that as adipose tissue grows, it becomes a full-fledged hormonal organ, where leptin, the so-called slimming hormone, is produced in large quantities, but the hypothalamus does not perceive it. The hormone “walks” through the blood unbound. It becomes extremely difficult for people to lose weight and the hormone activates the sympathetic division of the peripheral nervous system. Because of this, blood pressure increases, inflammatory processes actively develop, a “favorable environment” is created for the development of blood clots, and negatively affects the musculoskeletal system. Excess fat tissue and kilograms on the scale are a trigger for pathological changes in cartilage cells, as a result of which the cartilage tissue loses its elasticity and cracks form in it - and this leads to the development of arthrosis of the knee and hip joints, gout, and osteoarthritis of the knee joints.

How to lose weight and stay healthy

Joint injuries

Excessive fanatical sports activities, careless falls, injuries, fractures, sprains, professional injuries in athletes, surgical interventions, any tissue damage can trigger irreversible consequences. For some, this process takes years and joint diseases make themselves felt only in old age, while for others, disorders and consequences appear earlier.

Even high heels and tight shoes can injure joints. This is why it is so important to use orthopedic foot correctors, silicone inserts and insoles. These simple things can seriously affect the joints of the feet, legs and spine. Regular correction and careful self-care will prolong a good quality of life, maintain health and mobility for many years.

What are foot correctors and how do they save you from arthritis?

Sports and minimal exercise

Hypokinesia is a situation in which a person’s motor activity decreases, either forced or due to lifestyle. A sedentary lifestyle, partial or complete paralysis, laziness, asthenia, or a period of illness with bed rest also play a big role in the health of the joints, provoking changes. The joint must be in motion. The minimum useful thing you can do to maintain joint tone is walking, daily minimal physical activity - climbing stairs, warming up, running, swimming pool. Heredity Dysplasia is a violation of the mobility and biomechanical properties of joints. Diagnosed in newborns and babies 1 year of age. Those who are unlucky enough to have such a diagnosis are at risk of developing arthritis (osteoarthritis). Some people have a defective gene that is responsible for the formation of cartilage tissue. This leads to inevitable and rapid wear of the joints and the development of diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

Treatment of osteochondrosis

Medicines and dietary supplements for joints

Joint diseases are an irreversible disease, but, like osteochondrosis, it can be slowed down as much as possible or stopped altogether. The most important thing is to start acting on time.

Alflutop

Artra

Teraflex

Don

Chondroitin

Honda Forte Evalar

Joint prostheses

The concept of a joint prosthesis includes an imitation of synovial fluid, a joint fluid prosthesis. This is a solution that is injected exclusively by a doctor into the joint cavity, filling the gap between the cartilage. Such injections are the last solution to save the joint from damage and inflammation, which is taken by a specialist.

Fermatron

The active substance of the drug is sodium hyaluronate. Fermatron is a solution for a single injection into the knee joint and is a natural substitute for joint fluid.

The drug restores the visco-elastic and protective properties of the joint fluid;

reduces inflammatory reactions; eliminates pain syndrome; increases joint mobility; stimulates the body's own production of hyaluronic acid. Indicated for any stage of osteoarthritis and after surgical interventions.

The effectiveness of the drug has been clinically proven and is achieved after the fourth injection; is administered intra-articularly at intervals of 7 days. Maintains results for a long time.

Hyalur

In addition to hyaluronic acid, the composition contains sodium chloride and chondroitin sulfate. The use of chondroitin sulfate together with sodium hyaluronate helps to significantly slow down degradation and stimulate cartilage regeneration. Performs all the functions of a joint fluid substitute - provides joint mobility and performs protective functions. Enter once. After injection into the intra-articular cavity, rest for up to 48 hours and limitation of physical activity are indicated.

Haimovis

The drug is a synovial fluid prosthesis in the form of a solution of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid. Like all prostheses, it is inserted into the intra-articular cavity by injection. It is a visco-elastic hydrogel. Performs protective functions, protects tissues and joints from damage. Stimulates the restoration of synovial fluid viscosity and effectively reduces pain, restores and preserves joint function in patients with osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint. The biomechanical and biological characteristics of the drug make it possible to use it for diseases caused by sports.

General principles of nutrition for fractures

• The daily amount of food is divided into 5-6 parts.
• The amount of liquid you drink is about 2 liters per day.
• The diet includes foods rich in protein, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus.
• Due to a decrease in physical activity, it is necessary to monitor the caloric content of the diet, limit the intake of simple carbohydrates and refractory fats of animal origin.
• A good additional help for a fracture will be medications prescribed by a doctor containing vitamins and microelements.

Leafy greens

All green leafy plants are rich in valuable proteins and microelements. They are especially valued for the presence of magnesium, calcium and vitamin K. At the same time, the most useful are cilantro, lettuce and green onions (feather).

About 30-80 g of the described products provide the daily requirement for vitamin K. This vitamin increases the rate of bone regeneration by activating osteocalcitonin.

It has been proven that a deficiency of vitamin K in the blood increases the risk of hip fracture by almost 30%. Similar results were obtained by Japanese scientists, but the risk level was slightly lower – 21%.

It is recommended to add greens to regular dishes without fail in order to meet the physiological needs of the body for vitamin K, as well as magnesium and calcium.

Nutrition for a broken leg or spine

With fractures of the lower extremities, and even more so with fractures of the spine, physical activity, and therefore the energy consumption of the body, sharply decreases.

In this case, it is important to ensure that the food is complete in composition, and its energy value corresponds to energy costs. The calorie content of the diet is reduced by reducing the consumption of fast carbohydrates and fats.

On a note

When on bed rest, you should be careful with salty, smoked, and pickled foods. It contains a lot of salt, which causes fluid retention in the body and swelling.

Take more calcium

The processes of destruction and formation of new tissues constantly occur in the bones. Therefore, the components for bone synthesis (primarily calcium) must be supplied to the body daily.

According to US health experts, an average person should consume at least 1.0 g of calcium per day, teenagers - 1.3 g, and older people - 1.2 g.

The process of calcium absorption has certain features. The more macronutrients are supplied at a time, the less of it will go into the bone tissue. Therefore, you need to consume calcium in small portions throughout the day.

The highest calcium content is found in seafood, plant seeds, milk and hard cheeses, legumes and nuts.

Calcium has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the entire body. For example, one scientific study found that high macronutrient intake reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 22%.

But it's important not to overdo it. It is known that excess calcium in the body causes a wide range of pathologies (for example, urolithiasis).

Also pay attention to the 6 foods that are most beneficial for strengthening bones.

Calcium is the main mineral of bone tissue, which must be supplied to the body every day.

Foods that slow down bone healing

Along with healthy foods needed to speed up bone healing after a fracture, there are also those that slow down recovery.

Alcohol comes first on the list of harmful substances. It disrupts the process of callus formation and promotes the destruction of nerve connections. In addition, while intoxicated, it is easy to fall and get a new injury.

List of products to exclude:

• alcohol;
• semi-finished products;
• smoked, spicy, salty foods;
• strong coffee and tea;
• fatty food;
• sweet carbonated drinks.

Limit your alcohol intake

Alcohol abuse is extremely dangerous for the musculoskeletal system.

A dose of pure ethanol equal to 30 ml per day for men and 15 ml for women is considered safe.

Exceeding the described indicator is fraught with the development of cytotoxic effects, destruction of bone beams, and inhibition of osteoblasts. On the part of the joints, it is possible to increase the activity of inflammatory processes due to impaired coordination of the release of inflammatory mediators.

For example, experiments on rodents have shown that ethanol causes damage to articular cartilage and causes osteoarthritis.

Other studies show that the volume of alcohol consumption is also closely related to the severity of gout, a severe metabolic disease of the joints.

You will find 8 more foods that destroy joints in a separate article.

Alcohol consumption should be reduced as much as possible or completely abandoned in order to preserve the integrity of joints and bones.

Take Omega-3

Omega-3 fatty acids have powerful anti-inflammatory properties. They also prevent the loss of bone and muscle tissue and provide reliable prevention of arthritis and osteoporosis.

It is equally important to maintain a balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. According to scientists, the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 should be 4:1. Deviations may result in loss of bone tissue.

One American study found that high consumption of fish (it is a valuable source of omega-3 polyunsaturated acids) leads to a slowdown in resorptive processes and increases bone tissue recovery.

Good sources of omega-3 are: seafood, flaxseed oil, walnuts. Omega-3 can also be taken in the form of fish oil capsules.

You should consume more omega-3 fatty acids to prevent the development of osteoporosis.