Read this short article if you or someone you know is interested in preventing osteoporosis.
First of all you probably don’t think of your bones as living tissue, but that’s just what they are. Your bones are filled with “living cells”, some of which make new bone and some of which break down old bone. This process keeps your bones fresh and healthy, so this is something that you need to know.
But in some people, bones are broken down faster than they can be rebuilt. That’s a bad thing. Then what happens over time is, this leads to bones that are weak and thin. This condition is called osteoporosis. It affects 10 million Americans, mostly women.
Thin bones are more likely to break or fracture. These injuries can lead to serious problems. A hip fracture, for example, can cause a person to need nursing home care and disable them for life. Hip fractures can even be deadly, so this is serious stuff we’re talking about.
What You Can Do
There are things you can do to prevent osteoporosis. It’s best if prevention begins early—during your childhood and teens, that’s why this handout is so important, especially to women. This is when you can most influence how strong your bones will be.
That said, it’s never too late to adopt habits that help YOUR bones. Here are some habits that every person should take up, no matter how old they are:
Get enough calcium lactate or citrate and vitamin D. Calcium is one of the main things that make up bone. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium. That’s why many doctors recommend that people take calcium and vitamin D supplements. Oh and you don’t get it from drinking milk, so forget that. Eat spinach instead!
Exercise. Walking, running, and lifting weights put stress on the bones, making them stronger. This is something that most women don’t understand. Put stress on your bones and you’ll make them stronger. If you don’t want to lift weights, a re-bounder available at any sporting good store works great, remember to bounce not jump for 15 minutes a day.
Don’t smoke. Smokers tend to lose bone faster than nonsmokers. In fact, smokers are 55% more likely than nonsmokers to break a hip.
Don’t drink too much alcohol. Heavy alcohol use can reduce bone strength. It seems that too much alcohol can make it hard for your body to process vitamin D. You should be getting a good amount of vitamin D each and every day to prevent osteoporosis.
The following medications can weaken bones:
• Corticosteroids (used for arthritis, among other conditions) • Anti-seizure medications
• Cyclosporine A (which is used in organ transplants) • Thyroid hormones
If you have any questions on this handout, please let me know.
Dr. Janiak, Wingspan Chiropractic, 2551 River Park Plz Ste 200, Fort Worth, TX. 76116 (817)423-2600
