Bones & Joints
Fractures (Broken Bones)
A crack or break in a bone. Simple (closed) fractures leave skin intact; compound fractures break through the skin. Most require medical setting and immobilization. Natural remedies accelerate healing significantly through targeted nutrition and herbal support.
Also known as: Broken Bone, Bone Fracture, Simple Fracture, Compound Fracture
📝 At a glance
Likely root causes: Accidents and trauma are the most common cause.; Weakened bones from osteoporosis, bone tumors, or metabolic disease fracture much more easily.; Malnutrition — especially calcium and magnesium deficiency, or improper calcium/phosphorus ratio — predisposes..
First thing to try: First aid: cover any wound and immobilize in the position found; transport to physician or hospital.
See a doctor if: See a doctor if symptoms are severe, persistent, or worsening, or if you are unsure — natural supports are meant to complement, not replace, professional care.
🔎 Start with the cause
Lasting relief rarely comes from covering a symptom. First find what is feeding the problem, change what you can, and then help the body do what it was designed to do — heal.
Likely root causes
- Accidents and trauma are the most common cause.
- Weakened bones from osteoporosis, bone tumors, or metabolic disease fracture much more easily.
- Malnutrition — especially calcium and magnesium deficiency, or improper calcium/phosphorus ratio — predisposes.
- Older people (from age 40 onward) absorb calcium and minerals progressively less efficiently.
- Tranquilizer use increases hip fracture risk in older adults by 70%.
Change what you can
- First aid: cover any wound and immobilize in the position found; transport to physician or hospital.
- After proper medical setting: Eat a nourishing diet high in calcium.
- Get 15–30 minutes of direct sunlight daily to produce vitamin D for calcium absorption.
- Apply comfrey poulticeMashed plant material applied right on the skin. How to make a poultice → over the site of the fracture to speed healing and reduce pain and swelling.
- Turmeric paste reduces swelling externally.
- To test for fracture: a vibrating tuning fork against the area will cause pain if a fracture is present.
🌿 Then assist nature: remedies & protocols
With the cause being addressed, these are the actual things people do for this — ranked by the community. Vote ▲ on what helped you and ▼ on what didn't, and open How to do it for the steps. Each shows two quick signals: Evidence (how much science backs it) and Gentleness (how safe and in keeping with whole, natural health).
★ Start here — our first-line pick, pinned for safety
This is a supportive first-aid step only — a suspected fracture always needs proper medical setting and immobilization by a doctor first; nothing here replaces that care.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Bones need to be realigned and held still in the correct position to heal properly; moving a fracture before it is stabilized can cause further injury to bone, nerves, or blood vessels.
- If there is a wound, cover it gently with a clean cloth without pressing on the bone.
- Support the limb in the position you found it — do not try to straighten or realign it yourself.
- If trained to do so, splint the area above and below the suspected break using padding to protect the skin.
- Get to a physician, urgent care, or emergency room right away for proper setting and imaging.
immediate, then ongoing medical follow-up · one-time first aid, followed by professional care
Caution: Never try to push a bone back into place or straighten a badly angled limb yourself. Do not let the person eat or drink if surgery may be needed soon, in case of upcoming anesthesia.
When to get help: Call emergency services immediately if the bone is visible through the skin, the limb looks deformed, there is heavy bleeding, or the area below the injury is numb, cold, or pale — these signal a medical emergency.
Source: standard first-aid references
Comments & experiences ▾
Also helps — ranked by the community (vote to reorder)
This nutrition support is meant to work alongside, never instead of, the cast, splint, or surgical care your doctor has provided.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Bone healing calls for calcium and other minerals to rebuild bone tissue, and vitamin D helps the body absorb that calcium; a nourishing diet supports the whole repair process.
- After medical setting and casting, eat calcium-rich foods daily — dairy, fortified plant milks, leafy greens, and canned fish with soft bones.
- Get 15-30 minutes of safe sun exposure on the face and arms most days to support vitamin D production, weather and skin type permitting.
- Include protein-rich foods at each meal to support tissue repair.
- Avoid crash diets or skipping meals during the healing period.
throughout the healing period (weeks to months) · daily
Caution: Do not take high-dose calcium supplements without medical guidance — excess calcium during immobilization can raise the risk of kidney stones. People with darker skin, older adults, or those who are homebound may need a vitamin D supplement instead of relying on sun — ask a doctor.
When to get help: Seek prompt medical care if the cast area becomes increasingly painful, swollen, numb, or discolored, or if you develop fever, which can signal a complication.
Source: orthopedic nutrition references
Comments & experiences ▾
Always confirm with your treating doctor which movements are safe before trying this — it is a supportive habit, not a substitute for their instructions.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Sunlight supports vitamin D production for bone health, and gentle movement of unaffected joints keeps circulation flowing and helps prevent stiffness elsewhere in the body during a long healing period.
- Ask your doctor exactly which movements are safe during your specific healing stage.
- Spend time outdoors in daylight for 15-30 minutes when possible.
- Gently move and stretch joints that are not part of the injury to maintain circulation and prevent stiffness.
- Rest the injured area fully and avoid any weight-bearing or use your doctor has not approved.
ongoing through recovery · daily
Caution: Never resume weight-bearing or normal activity on the injured limb until your doctor clears it. Overexertion elsewhere in the body during recovery can lead to falls or new injury — move carefully.
When to get help: Seek medical care right away if you notice new pain, swelling, or loss of movement in or near the healing area.
Source: orthopedic rehabilitation references
Comments & experiences ▾
How the numbers work: a weighted voting system — trusted published sources cast endorsement votes for each protocol, and your ▲/▼ adds to them. Not medical advice.
🩺 When to see a doctor
- See a doctor if symptoms are severe, persistent, or worsening, or if you are unsure — natural supports are meant to complement, not replace, professional care.
🌿 The seven pathways to health
Seven pathways for your fractures (broken bones) — tap the circle to check one off (saved on your device), or ask Remy for help.
“Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health... In case of sickness 1cause should be ascertained, 2go to work intelligently to remove the disease. 3Unhealthful conditions should be changed, 4wrong habits corrected. 5Then nature is to be assisted in her effort 6to expel impurities and 7to re-establish right conditions in the system.”
🌿 Overview
A crack or break in a bone. Simple (closed) fractures leave skin intact; compound fractures break through the skin. Most require medical setting and immobilization. Natural remedies accelerate healing significantly through targeted nutrition and herbal support.
A fracture is a crack or break in a bone, ranging from a hairline crack to a complete break, and from a 'closed' fracture (skin intact) to an 'open' one where the bone breaks through the skin. Signs include pain, swelling, bruising, deformity, and difficulty using the injured part, and an open fracture or one with severe injury is a more urgent matter.
A suspected fracture needs medical care to set and immobilize the bone properly so it heals in the correct position — this is not something to manage alone. First aid involves keeping the area still and supported, applying ice and elevation for swelling, and seeking prompt care; an open fracture, severe deformity, or numbness needs emergency attention. Once a fracture is properly treated, the natural role supports healing: good nutrition with adequate calcium, vitamin D, and protein, not smoking (which slows bone healing), and following the prescribed recovery and rehabilitation plan.
Common signs
- Extreme pain and tenderness at the site
- possible protruding bone
- bruising or blood under the skin
- swelling
- tingling, numbness, or weakness below the fracture
- the digit or limb may be at an abnormal angle. Major fractures can cause loss of pulse below the injury.
🍃 Supporting foods & habits
The gentle, everyday foods and supports that help in the background — secondary to the active remedies above. Vote on what helped you.
Vitamin-C-rich foods support the collagen framework the bone rebuilds on.920
How the numbers work: this is a weighted voting system — every published book or article recommending a remedy counts as an endorsement vote, and your ▲/▼ counts too. Not medical advice. *Ties are broken by our editor score (sources, safety, simplicity, cost, lifestyle fit, eight-laws alignment).
🍽️ Eating to help
Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.
Calcium (1,000 mg/day). Silicon (1 mg/day; alternatively, drink horsetail tea: 2 tsp. dried herb boiled then steeped 10–15 minutes). Magnesium (250–500 mg/day) — works with calcium to build bones. Boron (2 mg/day) and manganese (10 mg/day). Vitamin D (400 IU/day for first 4 weeks). Pineapple (fresh, half daily) — bromelain reduces swelling and inflammation. Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum supplements produce vitamin K, which aids bone protein formation. Eat dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, parsley. Avoid coffee (blocks calcium), excess phosphorus, meat and processed foods (high in bone-depleting phosphorus), and soft drinks (phosphoric acid melts bones).
⚖️ Good to know
- Excessive calcium supplementation during immobilization can cause kidney stone formation; moderate the dose while the cast is on.
- Avoid alcohol and tobacco — both impair bone healing.
- Do not take tranquilizers — they significantly increase fracture risk in older adults.
⚕️ What a doctor may offerConventional treatments for this condition — for your information.Show ▾
RemedyRank's heart is natural healing — and honest information. Here is what conventional medical care commonly involves for this condition, listed to inform, never to promote. Decisions about treatment belong with you and your own physician.
Broken bones are set and immobilized, sometimes surgically, by a doctor.
Commonly offered
- Immobilization (cast/splint) after the bone is aligned–
- Surgery (pins, plates, rods) for displaced or complex fractures–
- Pain control and rehabilitation–
- Imaging to confirm and guide treatment–
Worth knowing
- Open wounds over the break, numbness, or a cold/blue limb — emergency care.
- Don't move a badly deformed limb; immobilize and seek care.
- Proper setting prevents long-term deformity.
👍/👎 shares whether a treatment helped you — community experience, not medical advice. For full professional details, see the sources under “Learn more” below.
📚 Learn more
Sources for further reading. These open in a new tab.
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