What is the best way to start preventing fractures in the elderly

  As research into osteoporosis has intensified, more and more people have begun to pay attention to the one-time disaster of osteoporotic fractures. Doctors have begun treating the primary cause of fractures, outpatients have volunteered to be screened for bone density, and research into the cause of the disease has covered the fields of endocrinology, nutrition, genetics, and immunity. So, what else can we do?  Obviously, osteoporotic fractures are closely related to bone fragility, but it is not necessarily the case that the lower the bone density, the greater the chance of fracture. Some foreign studies have shifted the focus of fracture prevention from osteoporosis prevention to fall prevention, and 90% of the rapidly increasing hip fractures in recent years are due to falls, and many of these fractures in the elderly can be fatal if not treated promptly. Therefore, the focus and foundation of what we need to do, in addition to the various treatments for osteoporosis, is to prevent falls in the elderly, especially in those with high risk factors for fracture. Falls are unanticipated, occurring in any place and under any circumstances, falling sitting or falling to the ground.  What can be called high-risk factors for osteoporotic fractures from falls?  (1) Age and gender. The older the elderly population, the greater the chance of falls, and older women tend to have a greater chance of falls causing fractures due to the higher brittleness of bone after menopause.  (2) Obesity. Overweight people also have a relatively large skeletal load, poor body coordination, and the chances of a fall are much greater than normal.  (3) External environment. For example, slippery roads, rain and snow, significantly increase the chances of falling.  (4) The influence of other diseases. Cerebrovascular disease, eye disease, patients who suffer from back and leg pain are more likely to fall.  For these conditions we can make some appropriate prevention. The first thing should be publicity and education to make people aware of the dangers of osteoporotic fractures, active screening and early treatment of osteoporotic primary diseases. Secondly, a reasonable diet. Dietary balance in the diet is conducive to maintaining the body mass index in the normal range, minimizing the intake of tobacco, alcohol, strong tea and coffee; and proper supplementation of calcium and vitamin D is one of the basic treatments for osteoporosis. Third, appropriate exercise. Exercise should focus on both exercises to increase muscle strength and to improve body balance and coordination, poor balance is the main cause of falls. Outdoor exercise can also promote the absorption of calcium, but exercise is careful not to be too hasty and excessive, otherwise it will be counterproductive and cause artificial injury. Fourth, individualized care. Change the surroundings of the elderly, such as adjusting the brightness of the bathroom, placing non-slip carpets, and minimizing going out when the road condition is poor; if the elderly have mobility problems or consciousness impairment then they need special care to prevent falls when walking, washing and toileting.  Two issues worth noting are: don’t ignore pain caused by minor trauma and pay attention to preventing re-fractures.  Spinal fractures can be caused by very light external forces. Getting up, stretching, coughing, etc. may cause compression fractures of the thoracolumbar spine, and if a timely visit to the X-ray reveals compression or wedge-shaped changes in the vertebrae, the fracture should be treated as a compression fracture. Hip fractures are sometimes inconspicuous in the early stage on X-rays. Patients who do not have obvious pain and choose to continue to stand and walk are very likely to have fracture displacement, so if hip fracture is suspected, CT should be performed for further diagnosis or bed rest for 1 week and outpatient film review after the fracture line at the fracture end is absorbed. Patients with a history of fracture should prevent reoccurrence of fracture. Patients who have had a fracture are significantly more likely to have another fracture than those without a history of fracture, and most fractures occur within one year of the initial fracture. For one thing, fractures cause trauma to the body of the elderly, which obviously affects the coordination of activities; for another, patients are afraid to move around after a fracture, and as a result, they are more likely to have fractures during light daily activities. Therefore, it is also important to provide psychological guidance to such elderly people, to perform active and passive muscle exercises in the late stage of fracture, to move the unfixed joints as early as possible, and to perform functional exercises on the ground as early as possible.