Fracture patients and their families often feel confused about nutritional needs and dietary choices, usually having to consult doctors.
In reality, except for mild systemic symptoms in the initial days, fracture patients generally do not have systemic symptoms, so their diet can be similar to that of healthy individuals. They should choose a variety of nutrient-rich foods. Pay attention to easy-to-digest and absorbible meals, and avoid spicy foods (like chili, raw onions, mustard, pepper) that can irritate the respiratory and digestive tracts. During periods of significant systemic symptoms, provide soft meals between normal and semi-liquid diets, ensuring minimal residue, easy to chew and digest. Cooking should involve chopping finely and cooking soft, avoiding frying or deep-frying.
This is the general dietary principle for fracture patients. To promote faster and better healing, patients should adjust their diet according to the early, middle, and late stages of fracture recovery, tailored to the progression of their condition, to aid in hematoma absorption or bone callus formation.
△ Early Stage (1–2 weeks): The injured area shows bruising and swelling, blocked meridians, and stagnant qi and blood. Treatment focuses on activating blood circulation, removing stasis, and promoting qi flow. Chinese medicine holds that "if stasis remains, bones cannot regenerate" and "once stasis is removed, new bone grows." Thus, reducing swelling and removing stasis is essential for fracture healing. Diet should be light—vegetables, eggs, bean products, fruits, fish soup, lean meat, etc.—avoiding spicy, hot, greasy foods. Do not prematurely consume rich, fatty supplements like bone broth, fatty chicken, or stewed fish, as this can cause blood stagnation, delay healing, slow bone callus formation, and impair future joint function. During this stage, use 10 grams of Sanqi, 10 grams of Angelica, and one pigeon, stewed until soft. Consume the soup and meat daily for 7–10 days.
△ Middle Stage (2–4 weeks): Most swelling has been absorbed. Treatment focuses on harmonizing the blood, relieving pain, removing stasis, and promoting new tissue growth. Diet shifts from light to moderate high-nutrition supplementation to meet the demands of bone callus development. Add bone broth, Sanqi chicken, and animal liver to the initial diet to provide more vitamin A, D, calcium, and protein. Use 10 grams of Angelica, 15 grams of Bone Breaker, 10 grams of Eucommia, and 250 grams of fresh pork or beef ribs, stewed for over one hour. Consume soup and meat daily for two weeks.
△ Late Stage (after 5 weeks): After five weeks, the injury site has mostly absorbed swelling, and bone callus formation has begun—this is the late stage of fracture healing. Treatment should focus on tonification—strengthening the liver and kidneys, and blood—to promote stronger bone callus formation and improve flexibility of nearby joints, restoring previous function. Diet can lift restrictions; include old hen soup, pork bone soup, lamb bone soup, deer tendon soup, stewed fish, and those who can drink alcohol may use Du Zhong Bone Breaker Wine, Chicken Blood Vine Wine, or Tiger Bone Wood Apple Wine. For dietary therapy, use 10 grams of Goji berries, 15 grams of Bone Breaker, 10 grams of Eucommia, and 50 grams of Job's tears. First, decoct Bone Breaker and Eucommia, remove the residue, then add the remaining two ingredients to cook into porridge. Consume once daily. One course lasts seven days, with a 3–5 day break between courses. Repeat for 3–4 courses.
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