Early Period of Injury

• Patients should receive full rest and keep the area fastened without moving around.
• Apply cold compress for emergency rescue at the initial period of injury. Compress the wound to prevent swelling. Do not apply chiropractic practice or apply warm compress as it may aggravate the condition. Lift up the swollen area during rest.
• The wet dressing should be applied for 8 hours in general, which can also be adjusted properly according to the condition. Remove the bandage after the dressing is dry.
• The patient receiving chiropractic treatment for the first time may react more strongly and that is normal. Usually the reaction will disappear the day after the treatment. Do not worry and the condition will also improve eventually.

Intermediate Period of Injury

• Patients with clavicle fracture should wear T-shirts without buttons. Female patients are suggested to wear tank top or clothes without sleeves or shoulder strap, so the nurses can change dressing easier.
• Avoid moving the upper body at the early stage of clavicle fracture such as lying down or getting up. If possible, try to sleep while sitting up and place a blanket on the back. If the patient needs to sleep lying down, ask the family to support the back, so the patientcan lie down without exerting force and affecting the area.
• Wipe the body or rinse the lower body only. Do not dampen the fastening splint or remove without permission.
• Some patients with more severe injury will need a longer period of bandaging and hence the external dressing may irritate the skin and cause skin rash. Please shorten the bandaging time of dressing. Do not scratch the skin with nails or sharp objects to avoid skin damage and infection. If you are bothered by the rash, please ask the doctor for treatment upon medical visit.
• The injured limb may show blood stasis or stingy pain, which is normal reactions. The condition will keep improving during the treatment. The patient may also apply warm compress to help absorbing stasis.
• The injury condition may vary from person to person and hence the treatment time may differ accordingly. Please have patience with the treatment. Repeated injury will also prolong the treatment schedule and hence please take care of the wound.

Recovery Period

• Pay attention to diet during rehabilitation period. Proper massage and warm compress will help joint restore the function. Avoid intense exercise or work that requires the engagement of the same motion for a long period of time.
• Please warm up and wear protective devices such as wrist support, kneepad, and ankle support if the patient needs to move around.
• Engage in daily activities from light to heavy. Do not engage in heavy duties without warmup. The patient should put on the protective devices to keep the area warm and wipe off any moisture immediately. Do not stand against the wind to keep the body from chill.
• Engage in easy exercises such as swimming, strolling, biking, and Taichi martial art during the recovery period. Do not engage in intensely competing exercise such as games.

Precautions for Diet by Period

Patients may adjust their diet according to the conditions at the initial period, intermediate and late periods of bone fracture to speed up the healing process:

• Initial Period of Bone Fracture:

The new wound will swell at first and the patient may have a dry and bitter mouth, a poor appetite and fecal incontinence. Patients are advised to eat some delicate food such as fruit, rice porridge, soybean milk, cereal, and noodles. Eat more vegetable and fruit to prompt enterogastric peristalsis, boost excretion, and prevent bloating and constipation. Avoid cold and irritating food such as cigarette, alcohol, betel nut, coffee, and food that is too sour or spicy. Cut down banana and bamboo shoot consumption.

• Intermediate Period of Bone Fracture:

At this healing stage of bone fracture, the patients should supplement proteins, calcium, and vitamin D. Eat more dry fish, oyster, clams, bean products, bean curd, chicken broth, and bone broth in addition to supplement fruit and vegetable. Eating in small portions and multiple meals. Avoid binge-eating. Additionally, proper sunray will help activate the vitamin D in the body.

• Between late period to recovery of bone fracture:

Eat 3 meals a day. Eat adequate food and fruit to strengthen physical training. Eat mussels, sea cucumber, sesame, walnut, and other nourishing food more. Small amount of alcohol may promote metabolism and blood circulation. Avoid drinking beer or liquor. Do not drink and drive.

Trauma Conditioning: Take supplement in protein and vitamin C; eat egg, soybean products, chicken soup, fruit, vegetable, orange, and lemon.