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Bone Infection

Osteomyelitis is a bone infection which can occur in practically any bone in the body. Bacteria usually cause the infection but fungi can occasionally have the same effect. Osteomyelitis is rare in the U.S. and it affects children more than adults.

The disease takes several forms according the way the infection traveled to the bone and the type of bone infected. Infections can reach the bone via open fractures or surgery on fractures from body tissues next to the bone from artificial joints and from ulcers in the foot. People who inject street drugs and patients who receive kidney dialysis are particularly vulnerable to osteomyelitis.

Signs and Symptoms

The symptoms of osteomyelitis include the following.

What Causes It?

Several different types of bacteria or fungi can infect bones often after a fracture or other injury or as the result of a joint replacement. The infection can also spread beyond the bone creating abscesses in muscles and other tissues outside the bone.

What to Expect at Your Provider's Office

After you describe your symptoms your health care provider will feel your skin above the affected bone to check for tenderness. He or she will take blood samples to check for osteomyelitis and the type of bacterium or fungus responsible. Your provider may also want to sample the bone itself. This will involve inserting a needle through the skin and into the bone and snipping off a small piece of the bone for testing. Your provider may also want you to have a bone scan which uses a mildly radioactive compound to highlight infected areas in the bones. You may also need a computed tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging two types of imaging tests that produce more detailed information than conventional X rays.

Treatment Options

Treatment Plan

The medicine you take depends on the type of bacteria or fungi that caused your infection. Lots of bed rest and a cast or splint to immobilize the bone or joint are helpful. Surgery is necessary only if the infection is found too late to stop it from spreading.

Drug Therapies

Prescription

Over the Counter

N/A

Complementary and Alternative Therapies

Alternative therapies can be used along with medical treatment to strengthen your immune system and help you recover.

Nutrition

For overall immune support and help with healing use the following.

Herbs

Herbs are generally a safe way to strengthen and tone the body's systems. As with any therapy it is important to work with your provider on getting your problem diagnosed before you start any treatment. Herbs may be used as dried extracts (capsules powders teas) glycerites (glycerine extracts) or tinctures (alcohol extracts). Unless otherwise indicated teas should be made with one teaspoon herb per cup of hot water. Steep covered 5 to 10 minutes for leaf or flowers and 10 to 20 minutes for roots. Drink two to four cups per day.

Use one or more herbs from each category. Make a tincture using equal parts. Take 15 to 60 drops three to four times a day.

Herbs called alteratives are traditionally known as blood cleansers. Use an infusion of red clover (Trifolium pratense) burdock root (Arctium lappa) yellow dock (Rumex crispus) yarrow (Achillea millefolium) cleavers (Galium aparine) and licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra). Drink two to three cups a day. Do not use licorice if you have hypertension.

To help with the healing of abscesses make a paste from the powders of goldenseal root (Hydrastis canadensis) and slippery elm (Ulmus fulva). Apply as needed.

Homeopathy

Some of the most common remedies used for osteomyelitis are listed below. Usually the dose is 12X to 30C every one to four hours until your symptoms get better.

Acupuncture

May help stimulate immune response reducing inflammation pain swelling and fever

Massage

Massage should be avoided because it could spread the infection.

Following Up

Expect your health care provider to monitor you carefully during your treatment.

Supporting Research

Berkow R ed. Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. 16th ed. Rahway NJ: Merck Research Laboratories; 1992.

Dambro MR. Griffith's Five-Minute Clinical Consult. New York NY: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 1998.

Larson DE ed. Mayo Clinic Family Health Book. 2nd ed. New York NY: William Morrow and Company; 1996.

Copyright © 2000 Integrative Medicine Communications

The publisher does not accept any responsibility for the accuracy of the information or the consequences arising from the application use or misuse of any of the information contained herein including any injury and/or damage to any person or property as a matter of product liability negligence or otherwise. No warranty expressed or implied is made in regard to the contents of this material. No claims or endorsements are made for any drugs or compounds currently marketed or in investigative use. This material is not intended as a guide to self-medication. The reader is advised to discuss the information provided here with a doctor pharmacist nurse or other authorized healthcare practitioner and to check product information (including package inserts) regarding dosage precautions warnings interactions and contraindications before administering any drug herb or supplement discussed herein.