Hip fractures are serious joint injuries that occur due to falls, accidents, and other causes. Your risk of having one of these injuries increases as you get older, especially if you have weak or brittle bones due to osteoporosis. Hip fractures can be highly painful and limit your ability to stand, walk, and move around. You might not be able to bear any weight on the affected hip until it has healed. Since this type of injury can negatively impact your quality of life, it’s important to reduce your risk. The following tips can help prevent hip fractures.
Eat Foods Rich in Calcium and Vitamin D
Calcium helps your bones, including the bones in your hip joints, stay strong and healthy. Your bones can become weaker or less dense as you age, so make sure you’re getting enough calcium in your diet. Since your body can’t make calcium on its own, you’ll need to get it from foods or supplements. Include foods and beverages that are high in calcium, such as cheese, milk, leafy green vegetables, and salmon, in your diet. Your body also needs vitamin D in order to absorb calcium. Being in the sun can stimulate vitamin D production in your body, and you can also get this vitamin in fortified foods, such as cereals.
Do Moderate Exercise
You don’t have to do vigorous workout routines to keep your hips in good shape. Moderate exercise can provide you with an effective way to maintain strong muscles and healthy bones in your hip joints. Simple exercises, such as walking or jogging, swimming, and climbing stairs, can keep your hips strong and flexible, which can help prevent hip fractures. Doing exercises that improve your coordination and balance can also help, since this can reduce your risk of falls. Just make sure you talk to your doctor before you start an exercise routine.
Make Your Home Safer
Making changes around your home to reduce your risk of accidents and falls can help prevent you from fracturing a hip. Getting rid of clutter helps remove obstacles you might trip over. Moving furniture to keep paths clear for walking around your home can also help. Other ways to make your home safer and reduce your risk of hip fractures include making sure hallways, stairs, and other areas are well-lit and installing grab bars in your bathrooms. You should also install railings or handrails along stairways to make going up and down stairs in your home safer.
If you need treatment for hip pain or hip injuries, please contact Huntington Orthopedics for an appointment. Our orthopedic doctors can help you find the right treatment plan for your hip problems. From physical therapy to surgical procedures, including joint replacements, we offer effective ways to treat hip fractures and other hip problems.