Simple Steps to Provide Home Care in Treating Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is quite a debilitating and painful condition to cope with, and for many, it affects quality of life. Many people wish to find some relief from the pain and discomfort associated with osteoporosis. Several recommendations can help people cope and help in treating osteoporosis through posture, movement, food and other remedies. Preventing bone loss and broken bones and further debilitation of the bones can be effectively slowed down through simple techniques. Let's take a look at home care tips.
Minimize the Risk of Falls
If you or someone you care about is dealing with this condition, you need to first take precautions to ensure that they are not in a position where a fall can aggravate things considerably. Osteoporosis results in brittle bones, so special care must be taken to ensure that the possibility of falls is minimalized.
There are several ways to minimize falls, such as hiring someone to care for the elderly patient. If they are unable to take care of their needs alone, this is very vital to providing them with a good quality of life. Also, ensure that there are proper anti-skid mats all through the house, particularly near the bathrooms.
Grip bars in the shower will serve to steady the person while getting in and out. Also, this will help them to place less pressure on the knee or joint where the condition is severe while getting in and out of the shower. Installing stair lifts for easy access is also a good idea. Consider painting the last few stairs a different color, one that is bright, so they aren’t missed while climbing down. Additionally, ensure that all areas of the house are well-lit, as dimly lit rooms lead to greater chances for accidents.
When shopping for shoes, get good flat shoes that are comfortable and have soles that offer a good grip. This will be comfortable and will also be safe to wear around the house and outside. There are also specially designed orthopedic shoes sold in the market to help with joint pain, hip pain, etc. Understand more about osteoporosis and find out about treating osteoporosis by managing the pain better with simple strategies that can be implemented daily.
Monitoring and Proper Diet
Broken bones are particularly dangerous in older people when they are bedridden. This often compromises bodily functions and leads to additional complications, so keep this in mind about osteoporosis. In addition to building up bone density and muscle strength, keeping a weight check is also essential. Ensure that there are regular visits to the doctor, and do the required screenings without postponing them, as it could help detect a potentially difficult situation beforehand.
In addition to these measures, facilitating proper exercise and nutrition plays an important role in the home care of patients with osteoporosis. As you gain an understanding of osteoporosis, you can include several food items in the daily diet that will help in aiding cartilage development and bone density. Moreover, fortified supplements are also available for treating osteoporosis and its associated symptoms.
Movement and Exercise
Many patients who suffer from osteoporosis have to live with constant pain and can become reclusive, avoiding all movement as stiffness in the joints increases. Facilitating movement and encouraging them to do small exercises to keep the joints flexible is important in patient care. Taking the medication regularly is also essential, and even if some days the symptoms are lesser, continuing with the medication regularly is important to stabilize the condition.
Weight-bearing exercises are recommended by doctors to strengthen muscles and bones. Light stretching and small walks can be helpful, especially if there is someone to motivate the patient to do them. Treating osteoporosis and effective pain management is possible with persistence and good care.