How to Care for Hip Fractures

Hip fractures are especially common in the elderly. Such injuries can be quite painful and prevent the victim from performing everyday actions. A few common measures are part of a patient's treatment regimen.

Instructions

1. Apply cold packs to the affected area to reduce the swelling and relative pain. This first-aid step should be performed before taking the patient to the physician.

2. Get a walking aide like cane or walker from a nearby store. The usage of a supportive cane or walker spares the hip from undue stresses that maybe imposed on the joint during the activities.

3. Go for non-surgical alternatives such as physiotherapy or traction if the fracture is of higher grade.

4. Inject zoledronic acid through intravenous route once every two months to avoid the recurrence of fracture.

Tips & Warnings

• Zoledronic acid injection injections are also given under normal circumstances to adults over 65 to prevent the occurrence of hip fractures. For the hip fractures resulting from pre-existing conditions like arthritis, hip replacement surgery is one of the best options.

References

• An informative resource for management of hip fractures

Resources

• Know more about the cautions that can be taken to prevent the occurrence of hip fractures