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Recovering from Addiction to Prescription Medications

I never thought of myself as an addict, but I did end up addicted to anti-anxiety medication after developing Generalized Anxiety Disorder. At some point, the medicine stopped being a way to deal with the nervousness and panic attacks, and became something my body craved. I knew that I needed help fast. Fortunately, a local drug rehab program includes support for people like me. They helped me wean off the medication, use methods like massage therapy to help my nerves heal, and even provided ongoing counseling for our family. I don't know how I would have made it without their help. If you suspect that your medication has crossed the line from being helpful to hurtful, take heart. Let me tell you about my journey out of addiction and back to wholeness.

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Recovering from Addiction to Prescription Medications

Help Your Bones Heal: What You Can Do While Recovering To Really Stabilize Your Bone Health

by Valerie Stevens

If you've been sidelined by a sports injury that includes a broken bone, ouch. You will get better, of course, but in the meantime, you definitely deserve some sympathy. However, you do have to get to work on healing now, no matter how upset you may be, because everything you can do now will help you recover more quickly. Bones do take time to heal, but like other temporary health issues, you can promote healing by following a few steps.

Get That Diet Into Shape

Now is the time to revamp your diet, especially if you have been missing some key nutrients. Increase your intake of leafy greens like spinach and kale, and drink more dairy if you are able to. The calcium in the greens and dairy, and the protein in the dairy, are important for bone healing. If you can, drink fortified milk that has vitamin D; this is also crucial for stable bone healing. Also look for ways to increase your vitamin C intake, such as through vegetables, because that will improve the health of the tissue around the bone, lending the bone support.

Ask About Orthobiologics

If you have to undergo surgery for the break, ask your orthopedic surgeon about orthobiologics. These are grafts, stem-cell treatments, growth-factor proteins, and other similar treatments that surgeons sometimes use. If the surgeon says you don't need them, then listen to the surgeon (there's a reason he or she is the surgeon, of course). But you might find out that the surgeon was planning to use one or more of these, and he or she will be able to give you details about how each type works.

Resume Activities Only With Your Doctor's Permission

Your recovery is going well and you're feeling much better. Time to test out putting extra weight on the recovering limb, right? No! Don't do that until you've had a follow-up x-ray and gotten permission from your doctor to start doing more things like placing weight on the limb. Just because you feel better doesn't mean you can start stressing out the bone. Place too much weight on the limb too early, and you could worsen the fracture.

Remember Your Medication and Other Treatments

You might have to take medication like antibiotics or blood thinners; take these according to the instructions your doctor gives you. You don't want a hidden problem to fester and create more problems for you down the line, which would only delay your healing.

Eventually your bone will heal, but that's no excuse to get lazy about treating it well and to forget your treatment protocols. Keep eating a healthy diet, stay hydrated, and baby that bone for as long as your doctor tells you to. You'll be out of your cast before you know it. For more information, contact a practitioner such as Soloway Stephen MD Arthritis & Rheumatology .   

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