I fell and my elbow hurts

If you fall and your elbow hurts, you may have a fracture. It is best to go to the hospital for an X-ray examination. If the pain is severe, soft tissue contusion is likely to occur. If a fracture occurs, you must pay more attention to rest and try to reduce activities. Pay more attention to eating bone soup and the like. You can also supplement calcium when necessary and eat more fresh vegetables and fruits.

Fracture care methods

First, be careful not to fix it too tight. After fracture reduction and fixation, special attention should be paid to whether the plaster or splint is too tight. If you find blood flow obstruction at the distal end of the fracture site (fingers or toes), that is, severe swelling or purple skin, you should seek medical attention immediately. Always check the skin around the edges of the cast or splint for pressure. If redness or ulceration occurs, consult a doctor.

(1) Most fracture patients have limited mobility or need to stay in bed for a long time. They need care in their daily lives and pay more attention to their physical recovery. Therefore, they need patient, careful and thoughtful care from their family members. If there are any unhappy things in the family, they should not show them in front of the patient to avoid misunderstanding. Talk to the patient often and give him/her more comfort so that he/she can feel the warmth and intimacy of family and enhance his/her confidence in recovery.

(2) Skin care is particularly important for patients who are bedridden for a long time, especially those with plaster immobilization and paraplegia. Patients with plaster immobilization should keep their skin clean and dry, and the bed sheets should be flat and wrinkle-free. Paraplegic patients should be turned over every 2 hours and massage the pressure areas with 50% alcohol or talcum powder to prevent the occurrence of bedsores.

(3) Use of bedpan. Bedridden patients need to use a bedpan to collect their urination and defecation on the bed. When using a bedpan, use a pillow to elevate the upper body. If the patient needs to be bedridden for a long time, a hole can be made on the side of the bed. When defecating, place the bedpan under the hole, and put a small oilcloth or plastic sheet under the buttocks, hanging down from the upper edge of the hole to the bedpan, to keep the hole and its surroundings clean.

(4) To prevent foot drop, pay attention to maintaining the functional position of the injured limb. The bed should be equipped with a quilt support to prevent local pressure and prevent foot drop.

Bone growth requires: collagen, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins C and D, which are all bone-forming elements, so it is important to supplement these substances after a fracture, especially in the elderly.

1. High-energy, high-protein diet: helps to restore vitality. However, it is best to eat it 2 weeks after the fracture. In the early stages of a fracture, a light diet is recommended.

2. Vitamin D: If you stay indoors after a fracture and cannot get enough sunlight, you may easily become deficient in vitamin D. Therefore, after a fracture, you should eat more foods rich in vitamin D (such as fish, liver, egg yolks, etc.) and get as much sun as possible.

3. Vitamin C: Fruits rich in vitamin C include hawthorn, fresh dates, kiwi, strawberry, longan, lychee, citrus, etc. Vegetables include alfalfa (grass head), pepper, sweet pepper, rapeseed, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts (soup vegetables), bitter gourd, watercress, broccoli, amaranth, etc.

4. Water: After a fracture, sitting for a long time can easily cause constipation. At this time, you should drink more water to ensure smooth intestinal flow.

Two weeks after a fracture, you can supplement your diet with bone soup, Panax notoginseng stewed chicken, animal liver, etc. to replenish more vitamins A, D, calcium and protein. If the fracture has been present for more than 5 weeks, the diet can be supplemented with old hen soup, pork bone soup, mutton bone soup, deer tendon soup, stewed water fish, etc. Those who can drink can choose from Eucommia ulmoides and Drynaria wine, Millettia reticulata wine, tiger bone and papaya wine, etc.