Stress fracture was not very popular a little time back but now it is a common term among many medical professionals. For those who are still unaware of it, stress fracture is kind of a physical response that a body gives out to protect against the outside world in order to protect the bones from complete fracture. It is kind of an incomplete fracture, one might say. The other fractures are usually easy to identify because of their critical impact to the body but for this kind of fracture, it is not that simple to detect it. The cause of this fracture is assumed to be recurring stress among humans.

Stress fracture is very common among sports’ persons and athletes. It is a kind of sports injury and can be thought of as a very minor sliver in the bones of the skeleton. The most vulnerable parts in the skeleton are those that bear heavy eights like metatarsal. Many studies have been devoted to this topic and the result that has been finalized is that the stress fracture can be treated by consuming more calcium and vitamin D.

Taking calcium and vitamin D helps the body to recover faster than usual. Even if the minerals are taken for short durations, it still is helpful. Researches have shown that taking both these minerals allows the bone to regenerate at a much quicker rate. The calcium facilitates the bone formation and supports its repairing whilst the Vitamin D has the ability (and provides the same ability to the bones) to soak up the calcium.

Supplements of calcium and Vitamin D are easily available in the market, ready to be consumed. They are capable of making huge impacts in very short spans of time. The results are visible just after 5-6 weeks of treatment. Without the proper treatment, stress fracture can be very painful and may take up to 4 months to recover completely. Why should one wait for four months when the same results can be seen in one and a half month? The treatment is natural as well which makes it safe. There are not many symptoms of stress fracture and even the x-rays can not diagnose the problem at first go. The crack may take up to one month to be seen in the x-ray. If you do not want to bear unnecessary pain, calcium and Vitamin D are the best option you have.

Metatarsal stress fractures are also known as March fractures because they were first found among military recruits. Any athlete is prone to this fracture because it has to do with walking and running. Also, a person who walks with a load is susceptible to this type of fracture. The complications may be from severe to simple, depending on the condition of the patient and the area where the fracture actually is. The patients of metatarsal stress fracture may have this because of high arch shoes. These shoes have very basic shock absorption. It is not very easy to detect this fracture at first because the fracture may become visible on x-ray only after a few weeks of the injury. Hence, this makes the recovery even more complex.

A foot x-ray may not be able to diagnose metatarsal stress fracture, as mentioned before. The most common bone that is vulnerable to the fracture is the second metatarsal. The pain is unbearable for the first couple of days and the pain stops completely just before the healing is about to be completed. The recovery may take up to 3 months, so one really needs to be patient enough to let the procedure get ample time. There is no proper medication or treatment for metatarsal stress fractures. The only key to recover is to give ample rest to your injured bone. Air splinting is also being used by many doctors that considerably reduce the pain. A compression bandage is also of much use in some cases that allows the swelling to fade away.

It is only possible to treat the fractured bone after the exact location and the extent of the break is known. Sometimes, a bone might not be broken and just displaced. Displacement of a bone is nothing to worry about. However, fracture may require surgery if the case is severe and the pain is unbearable.

We eat food not only to ease our appetite but also to keep our body healthy. The food that we eat has a number of vital nutrients which benefit our body in one or the other way. Minerals and vitamins are also part of a healthy diet. Calcium is also one of the many minerals that we consume. Though taken in very small quantity, it forms an important constituent of our daily diet. Calcium provides following benefits to our body.

Calcium is naturally present in our bones and teeth.  It increases bone density and strengthens the bones. If adequate amount of calcium is not present in the body, the bones will become fragile. Bones will become more prone to accidents leading to frequent fractures, even in case of minor injuries or pressure on bones. Calcium deficiency gradually leads to joint pains and muscular cramps. In children, its deficiency can cause softening of bones eventually causing rickets. Osteoporosis in women is common among women advancing towards menopause. They also require taking in more calcium to avoid the condition.

Apart from being good for the bones, calcium is a benefactor in many other ways. Calcium is also important for maintaining the proper functioning of heart and blood vessels. It keeps the blood pressure under control. A number of dental problems can be avoided by regular intake of calcium as it makes teeth and gums stronger. Taking calcium in required amounts also reduces the risk of colon cancer and development of polyps causing colon cancer in the body.

Recommended Intake Of Calcium For Different Age Groups:

Men and women aged between 9 and 18 years à 1,300 mg

Men and women aged between 19 and 50 years à 1,000 mg

Men and women aged 51 and over à 1,200 mg

Calcium is available in the form of supplements or tablets. Some food items rich in calcium are Swiss cheese, almond, cheddar cheese, parsley, brewer’s yeast, pumpkin seeds milk, and cooked dried beans. Many people even prefer having coral calcium or calcium carbonate as it also prevents acidity in stomach. It contains 40% calcium which is readily absorbed in the bloodstream. Chewable calcium tablets and liquid calcium supplements are also available for children. Taken in any form, adequate amount of calcium should be taken in the diet by enriching our diet with calcium rich supplements.

The best remedy to keep your bones healthy throughout life is to stay connected to the nature. It is very well said that the nature has created us, and we’ll end up there only. So, why to go for synthetic and processed foods and medicines to stay healthy? As you advance in your life, you are at a greater risk of bone loss, owing to decrease in bone density. Women are the ones who are hardest hit. After menopause, the body does not produce enough of estrogen, leading to fragile bones and diseases like osteoporosis.

Though there are drugs available for all kinds of disorders related to bones, a healthy nourished diet is also more than enough for keeping your bones off the disorders. Some things that must be part of your daily diet to keep your bones tough and healthy naturally are:

CALCIUM: Your daily calcium intake must be around 1500mg. but, our diet usually contains only 500 mg per day. Thus, the body extracts calcium from the bones as it needs it for various processes. This need should be fulfilled using calcium supplements. Naturally you can have calcium by adding more of milk, broccoli, spinach, peas, yoghurt and salmon to your diet.

MAGNESIUM: It is also important as it helps in transportation of calcium to the bones. Usually, calcium supplements also contain magnesium as one of the constituent to complete the need. A minimum of 350gmg of magnesium should be taken every day along with calcium.

VITAMIN D: This is one thing for which you do not have to do anything or spend anything. To have all the D that you need, all you have to do is to stay for some time outside in the sun, sans your sunscreen lotion. Our body naturally produces Vitamin D in the presence of sunlight.

ZINC: If there is deficiency of zinc in your body, then you must be having brittle bones, prone to accidents. Some foods rich in zinc are pumpkin seeds, avocados, wheat germ, buckwheat, oysters, crab and poultry.

HERBS: If you are experiencing bone loss, then herbs are one thing that can help your bones and ease your discomforts.

RED CLOVER: Red clover contains huge amounts of minerals and trace elements. Apart from being helpful in keeping your bones healthy, they are also good for the immune system. But, red clover should be used after consulting a doctor as it is known to have blood thinning qualities.

OATS AND NETTLES: These are good for sturdy and healthy bones. These should be used in teas and drunk 2 to 3 times a day.

There is hardly a single day when, any clinic in the world do not have a patient suffering from any kind of joint pain or stiffness- knee pain, back pain, finger pain, hip pain- any sort of joint pain one can imagine. Every now and then, we come across people suffering from joint pains. Though it can happen to anybody, it is more common in women. There can be many reasons attributing to joint pains.

Joint Pains and chronic inflammation

Joint pains arising in different parts of the body are a clear indication of chronic inflammation or hormonal imbalance. Normally, the immune system initiates inflammatory responses to handle intermittent threats like infections and injuries. But, in most of the women, these inflammatory responses keep on going continuously at a low scale. This leads to gradual degradation of body cells as it prevents cell regeneration and repair, tearing down tissues- even those present in the joints.

Joint pains and diet

A diet rich in refined carbohydrates and sugars and having lower amount of essential fatty acids stimulate inflammatory responses. These promote higher levels of insulin which affects cellular metabolism and spreads inflammation. Food allergies and sensitivities also cause chronic inflammation. Women suffering from joint pains also experience digestion problems due to inflammation in the digestive tract.

Joint pains and hormonal imbalance

There are a huge lot of women who report joint pain for the first time, when they are approaching menopause. During this transition, there is a shift in the hormone levels which causes a number of noticeable changes in the body. The estrogen levels keep on fluctuating from one value to another. Estrogen hormone reduces the inflammatory responses in the body. At the time of pre-menopause, estrogen levels goes on falling, which eventually triggers the symptoms of chronic inflammation.

Joint pain and Stress

Stress and tension can harm your body in more ways than one. Apart from being a major cause for many mind- related disorders, it is also one of the factors contributing to joint pains. Cortisol hormone is released when a person is experiencing stress. It enhances the process of inflammation. Stress sustained over a long period of time causes inflammatory responses to spread like forest- fire. To avoid this, one should try to remain calm and happy. Meditation can also help in increasing concentration and releasing stress from your body.