Bone Setters Vs Doctors: Who Truly Holds The Healing Power?

According to Ireporter Online, the Ijegun community in Alimosho, Lagos, was plunged into weeks of darkness following a prolonged power outage that stretched through Christmas 2024 and into the New Year. The blackout not only left residents without electricity but also deprived many households of water, as pumping machines could not function.

In one of the affected homes, 25-year-old Beracah was forced to fetch water from a distant source four streets away. The routine was exhausting, but with no electricity to power her family’s borehole, it was the only option. On January 3, while returning with a heavy bucket of water, disaster struck. She slipped on a muddy road, and the bucket crashed against her right ankle, breaking the bone. The young woman was devastated, wishing it was a nightmare from which she could wake. But it was her harsh reality.

Beracah’s ordeal mirrors that of many Nigerians who, when faced with fractures, must decide between seeking care in orthodox hospitals or turning to traditional bone setters. While orthodox doctors emphasize that orthopedic care remains the safest and most effective treatment for fractures, traditional practitioners maintain that their age-old methods are trusted and affordable.

A radiologist and health advocate, Dr. Olusina Ajidahun, stressed that fractures are not always caused by accidents alone. Some result from underlying conditions like cancer or steroid abuse, which require proper diagnosis. He warned that untreated fractures or reliance on untrained bone setters could lead to complications such as infections, nerve damage, malunion, or even amputations. He dismissed the misconception that hospitals rush into amputations, explaining that such measures are always a last resort when limbs are already beyond saving.

According to him, hospitals provide a wide range of treatment options, from casts and splints to surgery when absolutely necessary, combined with X-rays, scans, and physiotherapy to ensure full recovery. “Bones are delicate,” he explained, “and if they are not properly set from the beginning, the result could be lifelong deformity or chronic pain.”

Yet, traditional bone setters continue to draw patients. Mr. Adewale (not his real name), a practitioner in Ijegun, defended his practice, insisting that herbs, massage, and bamboo splints are sufficient for healing. He argued that metal implants used in hospitals create long-term complications and insisted that traditional methods are cheaper and prevent amputations.

However, medical statistics paint a grim picture, showing that complications from bone setting contribute to thousands of preventable disabilities across Nigeria every year. Many patients only turn to hospitals when traditional remedies have failed, by which time the damage is often worse and more costly to treat.

Beracah’s family initially tried three different bone setters in search of healing. By then, her fractured ankle had healed incorrectly, leaving her with a bent limb and persistent pain. It was only when she was eventually taken to an orthopedic hospital that the full extent of the damage became clear. Surgery and metal implants were required to correct the malunion.

Three months after the operation, Beracah is walking again without pain, regaining her active lifestyle. Yet her eight-month ordeal remains a painful reminder of what could have been avoided had she received hospital care immediately.