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As people age, their health needs and requirements progressively change. The body starts getting weaker and demands more attention.

In that context, it’s essential for the elderly to take proper care of their overall health, in specific to their bone, which is more prone to common problems including osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Paget’s disease.

Here are 5 tips for older people to keep their bones strong and healthy:

1.Audit your diet (and make changes)

This is the single most important part of the process. What you eat (and what you don’t) plays a significant role in how your bone nourishes.

So, audit your diet. And then make changes to it.

Foremost, avoid highly processed foods. Yes, those cheese, tinned vegetables, bacon and pastries taste good, but they are also quite unhealthy. Eliminate them from your diet.

Following, opt for whole foods like wholegrain rice, barley, almonds, peanuts, chickpeas and more. They pack rich nutrients.

In addition, diversify your diet. Eat many varieties of food to not only keep your meals interesting but to consume various nutrients from different foods.

2.Get more Calcium and Vitamin D

Calcium and Vitamin D are the two most important nutrients for older people. While calcium helps build block of bone tissues, vitamin D ensures your body consume and process calcium.

So, increase your daily intake of these nutrients. There are many food items that are rich in calcium and Vitamin D, like milk, yogurt, cheese, salmon, egg yolks, and soy and rice beverages.

If you have any preexisting disease or illness, make sure to consult a qualified dietician or nutritionist before making any change in your diet.

3.Be more active

This is quite a basic advice. When you’re physically active, it puts a strain on your bones, joints, and muscles, which helps them grow.

Aim to get at least 20 minutes of exercise every day.

Walking, running and yoga are good to begin with.

If you’re in good shape and can take up slightly intensive workout, get more involved with the resistance, interval and strength training.

4.Cut back on the bad habits

Just doing good isn’t sufficient. You’ve got to eliminate the bad.

Foremost, limit the number of times you drink coffee. Caffeine decreases the amount of calcium your body absorbs.

In addition, stop smoking and consuming alcohol. Stop eating unhealthy foods.

Small measures taken every day to adopt a healthy lifestyle can make the biggest difference for you.

5.Visit a good orthopedic clinic in Kolkata

This is essential. Even if you do not necessarily have any evident bone problem, seeing a good doctor every once in a while for a regular checkup is a fairly good idea.

And then, of course, if you do have any pain or discomfort in your bones and joints, you should visit the best orthopedic doctor at Baguihati immediately.

Do your thorough research before finalizing on any one orthopedic clinic in Kolkata.

Remember, your treatment would be only as good as the doctor. So, be careful in selecting the right professional.

Conclusion

As people grow older, their bones would show evident signs of aging.

The bones will get weaker. The joints will pain. And overall health will frail.

Yes, it’s an outcome of aging, which is often inevitable. However, there are many proactive measures you can take to ensure that your bones are healthy and strong even when you’re old.

It’s more prevalent among those with a day job. They sit on the chair for 9, 10 and even 11 hours a day at the office. So, getting back pain is too common.

However, keeping an eye on when that “common” crosses the threshold and become something serious and severe is very important. Because your posture not just affect your physical health but it also, if sustained for a long period, can influence how you feel, how you perform and the kind of overall lifestyle you lead.

So, if you’re experiencing back pain, paying heed to its severity is essential. if you spot or feel something serious, you should immediately visit no 1 orthopedic doctor in Kolkata.

Are You Seeing These Symptoms?

• Nagging pain that has been there for more than a couple of days.
• Pain that momentarily improves when you recline.
• Occasional shooting or stabbing pain.
• Pain that worsens with body movement.
• Pain that radiates all over your back and reaches your leg.

Of course, when you’re experiencing these symptoms, you shouldn’t just rush to a spine specialist doctor in Kolkata. Besides, you wouldn’t anyway. There are several home remedies that can help your case.

You can take up specific stretches and exercises that are meant to reduce the back pain; like press-ups and cobra pose. You should proactively work to improve your posture. You should invest in good quality chair and mattress.

When To See A Doctor?

Home remedies can take you a long way. But they might not necessarily be effective in all cases. You must visit no 1 orthopedic doctor in Kolkata when…

• Home treatments have failed
• The pain is coming in your way of living a happy life
• The pain has now lasted for more than 5 weeks
• You feel tired throughout the day
• The pain prevents you from falling asleep at night
• The pain causes weakness or numbness in legs and/or arms
• There’s unexplained loss in weight
• You’re experiencing bladder problems

Conclusion

Do not take your back pain so lightly. Do not just assume that it would go away on its own. If left ignored, it can become something much serious and chronic.

So, pay attention. Take all the right measures. Visit a good doctor.

Your posture affects your entire physical and psychological health in the short and long term. Being concerned and proactively careful about your back pain is important.

9.6 percent of men and 18 percent of women, worldwide, above the age of 60, have symptomatic osteoarthritis. 80 percent of those affected experience limitations in movement. And 24 percent of them fail to perform major daily activities.

So, if your parents are past 60 years, it won’t be surprising that they have this degenerative joint disease. More so the parents in India, majority of who are unlikely to take proper care of their joints, muscles and overall health.

The question now comes…

Is knee replacement surgery a good choice for your parent?

The answer isn’t simple. Even if they are experiencing the symptoms of osteoarthritis, knee replacement surgery might not necessarily be a go-to option.

Before reaching any conclusion, you must consult a top orthopedic doctor in Kolkata.

Identify The Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

It’s not difficult to self-diagnose osteoarthritis. The symptoms are quite common and evident. It includes…

• Pain in joints during and after any movement.
• Loss of flexibility, leading to the limitation in the range of motions.
• Due to soft tissue inflammation, there could be occasional swelling.
• The joints become too tender even on light touch.
• Stiffness after a period of rest or inactivity.
• Occasional sound of popping or cracking.

Of course, there are several other symptoms of osteoarthritis; it varies between individuals. And most importantly, not all of them might be present in every case.

It Requires Grade IV Osteoarthritis

Even when all these symptoms are present in any of your parents, they might not necessarily require knee replacement surgery.

The invasive treatment is done only in grade IV osteoarthritis; and, depending on the condition, occasionally in grade III cases. The surgery is NOT done in grade I and grade II arthritis, which can, and should first, be treated with alternative (and non-invasive) methods.

So, before self-concluding that your parents do require knee replacement surgery because they are seeing symptoms of osteoarthritis, you must consult a good doctor first. Visit any orthopedic surgeon in Kestopur, Kolkata.

If the doctor says they require the surgery, they would usually lay out a plan for you, providing all the information that you and your parents should know.

Remember, not all osteoarthritis cases require surgery. But if left untreated and uncared in the initial stage, they would inevitably demand knee replacement surgery. So, if your parents experience joint pain, take them to a top orthopedic doctor in Kolkata today.

The best orthopedic surgeon in Bangur that you’re consulting would make the final (and right) call. However, there are still a few things you can do to save yourself from expensive surgeries and still fix your broken bones. The basic first aid measures for fractures can take you a long way, preventing any further damage and ensuring timely care. Here are three tips to help you:

Don’t Get A Fracture

There are a few types of fractures that essentially require surgery. Like, a broken bone in your spinal cord. You can’t cast it. It requires immediate, invasive treatment. So, if you want to avoid all kinds of surgeries and pain, you, evidently, shouldn’t get fractured in the first place. Be careful of your movements. Do not rush anywhere. Eat right and lead a healthy life. Take all the necessary precautions.

Is It Really A Fracture?

Sometimes it’s easy to mistake a basic injury as a fracture. So, before you get into the panic mode, understand if there’s really a broken bone in the first place or not. Some of the symptoms include intense pain that gets worse, numbness and swelling, a visible deformity, bleeding at the injury site, and bone sticking out of the skin.

Take First Aid Steps

Once you have established that it’s really a fracture, you must take the basic first aid steps (and ask others around you to help you).

• Get Immobile: Do not move the injured area. Keep it still. The more you will move it, the more it will pain. And the wound will be damaged further. Get it in a relaxed position as quickly as possible.
• Don’t Panic: Of course, this is easier said than done BUT do not panic. It may trigger your movements. Or, it can even make you unconscious. Take deep breaths. Drink water.
• Stop Bleeding: If there’s any bleeding, stop it. Apply gentle pressure on it using a clean piece of clothing. If you have anyone around you, ask her/him for help.
• Put on Some Ice: Apply ice on the wound. This will ease the pain. Do not put the cold directly on the wound though. Wrap the ice in the bag first before applying.
• Call Professionals: Dial the emergency number and seek medical help. Call the ambulance if needed and visit the emergency room immediately if the pain is unbearable.

These are a few things you should when you’ve broken your bones. Proper first aid and timely treatment can save you from costly surgeries.

What If You Require Surgery?

Many types of fractures can be fixed with plaster. However, there are a few types that, as mentioned above, do require surgeries to restore optimal alignment and function of the bone. If your orthopedic doctor has made that call, you should definitely opt for elective surgery in a timely way.

Understand, today, surgeries aren’t as big of a thing as they were once. With so much advancement in technology, the process is much easier, efficient and quicker. To that, if you have found the right clinic, such surgical treatments don’t even cost much.

Conclusion

After you’ve received the treatment, aftercare is just as essential. Any minor lapse can make things worse. So, take all the deterrent measures. Consult the best bone doctor in Kolkata regularly to ensure a smooth recovery. Fractures can put a serious pause in life. But knowing how to deal with them can ease the entire process, bringing you back on track quickly.