How to Help a Broken Bone Heal Without Surgery
From Talking With Docs.
Watch this video on YouTube ↗
📩 Contact us: [talkingwithdocs@gmail.com]
Have a broken bone and wondering what you can actually do to help it heal? Most broken bones heal well, but some take far longer than they should, and a few don't heal at all. The difference often comes down to what you do in the weeks after the break.
In this episode of Talking With Docs, orthopedic surgeons Dr. Brad Weening and Dr. Paul Zalzal walk through the things that give a broken bone its best chance of healing without surgery: making sure surgery isn't needed, protecting the fracture, moving when you're allowed, feeding your bones, and avoiding the habits that quietly slow bone healing down.
One of the biggest is one many people don't know about: smoking. Smoking reduces blood flow to the bone, and the nicotine, carbon monoxide and other chemicals in smoke work against the cells that build new bone. A 2016 review of 40 studies of fractures and bone surgery found smokers had about twice the risk of delayed healing or nonunion, and healing took close to four weeks longer.
New to fractures? Watch our episode on how to tell if a bone is broken: https://youtu.be/yPQzwkI6MO0
You'll learn:
Why the first step is making sure your fracture doesn't need surgery
Why most broken bones need to be immobilized to heal
Why you should wear your cast, brace, boot or splint exactly as prescribed
Why putting weight on a bone, once you're allowed, can help it make more bone
Why you shouldn't lie in bed for six weeks with a broken wrist
Why healing a fracture takes so much energy and protein
Why a broken bone is not the time to go on a diet
Whether extra vitamin D and calcium make bones heal faster
Why Dr. Zalzal often suggests vitamin D just in case you're deficient
Why smoking is one of the worst things you can do for a broken bone
What delayed union and nonunion mean
Whether vaping, nicotine pouches, patches and gum could be a problem too
Why diabetes control and good nutrition matter for bone healing
Why about six weeks is the orthopedic "unit of time" for most fractures
Why bones like the scaphoid can take much longer
Where bone stimulators fit in for delayed unions and nonunions
Much of fracture healing comes down to one idea: bones heal best when the broken ends are kept still. Dr. Weening compares it to gluing two popsicle sticks together. Keep pulling them apart and they never stick. That's why following your cast, brace or boot instructions matters so much, and why walking barefoot when you've been told to wear a boot can shift the fracture and delay healing. But once your surgeon says you can move or bear weight, do it. Loading a bone can stimulate it to make more bone, and keeping the rest of your body moving helps blood flow and prevents stiffness.
On supplements, the doctors are clear: there aren't good studies showing that nine glasses of milk a day or 50,000 units of vitamin D will heal a bone faster. The goal is to correct any deficiency and keep your vitamin D and calcium at an adequate level. Because many people run low on vitamin D and it's low risk, Dr. Zalzal often tells patients they might as well take it, just in case.
And there are no real shortcuts. Bone stimulators can help in some delayed unions and nonunions, but for the vast majority of simple fractures, the mainstay is what's covered here: protect the bone, follow your instructions, eat well, don't smoke, and give it time. Do that, and your bone is more likely than not to heal.
Have you had a broken bone heal without surgery? What helped you most during your recovery? Let us know in the comments.
🎧 Listen on Your Favourite Platforms:
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/3OFxEjictC41CCS1z2AVKe
Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/talking-with-docs-podcast/id1799242189
YouTube Music:
- TWD Podcast
👕 Shop Our MERCH:
https://www.spreadshirt.ca/shop/user/talking+with+docs
❤️ Support Oakville Hospital:
https://oakvillehospitalfoundation.com/
📱 Follow Us:
TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@talkingwithdocs
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithdocs/?hl=en
🛑 DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Fractures heal differently from person to person, and decisions about surgery, immobilization, weight-bearing, supplements and other parts of your recovery should be individualized based on your injury, health history, and circumstances. Always follow the guidance provided by your physician, pharmacist, and healthcare team. Full disclaimer at talkingwithdocs.com.
#BrokenBone #BoneFracture #FractureHealing #BoneHealing #BrokenBones #Fracture #FractureRecovery #Orthopedics #OrthopedicSurgeon #Smoking #VitaminD #BoneHealth #InjuryRecovery #TalkingWithDocs #DoctorExplains
Have a broken bone and wondering what you can actually do to help it heal? Most broken bones heal well, but some take far longer than they should, and a few don't heal at all. The difference often comes down to what you do in the weeks after the break.
In this episode of Talking With Docs, orthopedic surgeons Dr. Brad Weening and Dr. Paul Zalzal walk through the things that give a broken bone its best chance of healing without surgery: making sure surgery isn't needed, protecting the fracture, moving when you're allowed, feeding your bones, and avoiding the habits that quietly slow bone healing down.
One of the biggest is one many people don't know about: smoking. Smoking reduces blood flow to the bone, and the nicotine, carbon monoxide and other chemicals in smoke work against the cells that build new bone. A 2016 review of 40 studies of fractures and bone surgery found smokers had about twice the risk of delayed healing or nonunion, and healing took close to four weeks longer.
New to fractures? Watch our episode on how to tell if a bone is broken: https://youtu.be/yPQzwkI6MO0
You'll learn:
Why the first step is making sure your fracture doesn't need surgery
Why most broken bones need to be immobilized to heal
Why you should wear your cast, brace, boot or splint exactly as prescribed
Why putting weight on a bone, once you're allowed, can help it make more bone
Why you shouldn't lie in bed for six weeks with a broken wrist
Why healing a fracture takes so much energy and protein
Why a broken bone is not the time to go on a diet
Whether extra vitamin D and calcium make bones heal faster
Why Dr. Zalzal often suggests vitamin D just in case you're deficient
Why smoking is one of the worst things you can do for a broken bone
What delayed union and nonunion mean
Whether vaping, nicotine pouches, patches and gum could be a problem too
Why diabetes control and good nutrition matter for bone healing
Why about six weeks is the orthopedic "unit of time" for most fractures
Why bones like the scaphoid can take much longer
Where bone stimulators fit in for delayed unions and nonunions
Much of fracture healing comes down to one idea: bones heal best when the broken ends are kept still. Dr. Weening compares it to gluing two popsicle sticks together. Keep pulling them apart and they never stick. That's why following your cast, brace or boot instructions matters so much, and why walking barefoot when you've been told to wear a boot can shift the fracture and delay healing. But once your surgeon says you can move or bear weight, do it. Loading a bone can stimulate it to make more bone, and keeping the rest of your body moving helps blood flow and prevents stiffness.
On supplements, the doctors are clear: there aren't good studies showing that nine glasses of milk a day or 50,000 units of vitamin D will heal a bone faster. The goal is to correct any deficiency and keep your vitamin D and calcium at an adequate level. Because many people run low on vitamin D and it's low risk, Dr. Zalzal often tells patients they might as well take it, just in case.
And there are no real shortcuts. Bone stimulators can help in some delayed unions and nonunions, but for the vast majority of simple fractures, the mainstay is what's covered here: protect the bone, follow your instructions, eat well, don't smoke, and give it time. Do that, and your bone is more likely than not to heal.
Have you had a broken bone heal without surgery? What helped you most during your recovery? Let us know in the comments.
🎧 Listen on Your Favourite Platforms:
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/3OFxEjictC41CCS1z2AVKe
Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/talking-with-docs-podcast/id1799242189
YouTube Music:
- TWD Podcast
👕 Shop Our MERCH:
https://www.spreadshirt.ca/shop/user/talking+with+docs
❤️ Support Oakville Hospital:
https://oakvillehospitalfoundation.com/
📱 Follow Us:
TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@talkingwithdocs
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithdocs/?hl=en
🛑 DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Fractures heal differently from person to person, and decisions about surgery, immobilization, weight-bearing, supplements and other parts of your recovery should be individualized based on your injury, health history, and circumstances. Always follow the guidance provided by your physician, pharmacist, and healthcare team. Full disclaimer at talkingwithdocs.com.
#BrokenBone #BoneFracture #FractureHealing #BoneHealing #BrokenBones #Fracture #FractureRecovery #Orthopedics #OrthopedicSurgeon #Smoking #VitaminD #BoneHealth #InjuryRecovery #TalkingWithDocs #DoctorExplains
