Submitted by Shannon Laesch, APN, The Bone Health Clinic at CINHS
Osteoporosis is often called a silent disease because bone loss occurs without symptoms. People may not know that they have osteoporosis until their bones become so weak that a sudden strain, bump, or fall causes a hip to fracture or a vertebra to collapse. It’s important to realize that once you’ve lost bone, it’s gone! This is why it is vital to keep bones healthy and strong and take action to minimize loss of bone as you get older.
If you’ve been diagnosed with osteoporosis, treatment focuses on slowing down or stopping further bone loss. A comprehensive osteoporosis treatment program includes a focus on lifestyle changes such as proper nutrition and exercise, as well as safety issues to prevent falls that may result in fractures. Following are steps you can take to lower your risk of developing this potentially crippling disease and to keep it from getting worse.
Nutrition
A healthy, balanced diet is essential for minimizing bone loss and maintaining overall health. Calcium and vitamin D are especially important for bone health. As you age, your body becomes less efficient at absorbing calcium and other nutrients. Older adults also are more likely to have chronic medical problems and to use medications that may impair calcium absorption.
Vitamin D is required for proper absorption of calcium from the intestine. Vitamin D is made in the skin after exposure to sunlight, but only a few foods naturally contain significant amounts of vitamin D, including fatty fish and fish oils. Although many people obtain enough vitamin D naturally, studies show that vitamin D production decreases in older adults, in people who are housebound, and during the winter.
While vitamin D and calcium will not completely stop bone loss, it will guarantee that a supply of the materials the body uses for bone formation and maintenance is available. Supplemental calcium and/or vitamin D should be taken as recommended by your physician.
Exercise
Like muscle, bone is living tissue that responds to exercise by becoming stronger. Physical activity is needed to build and maintain bone throughout adulthood. The evidence suggests that the most beneficial physical activities for bone health include strength training or resistance training. A properly designed exercise program that builds muscles and improves balance and coordination provides other benefits for older people, including helping to prevent falls and maintaining overall health and independence. Exercise should not put any sudden or excessive strain on your bones and if you have osteoporosis, you should avoid high-impact exercise. To help ensure against fractures, a physical therapist or rehabilitation medicine specialist can recommend specific exercises to strengthen and support your back, teach you safe ways of moving and carrying out daily activities, and recommend an exercise program that is tailored to your circumstances.
Stop Unhealthy Habits
Smoking is bad for your bones as well as your heart and lungs. Smokers also may absorb less calcium from their diets. Limit alcohol intake as too much alcohol can damage your bones, as well as put you at risk for falling and breaking a bone.
Prevent Falls
Preventing falls is a special concern for men and women with osteoporosis. Falls can increase the likelihood of fracturing a bone in the hip, wrist, spine, or other part of the skeleton. Falls can be caused by environmental factors such as throw rugs or slippery floors as well as physical factors such as impaired vision or balance, chronic diseases that affect mental or physical functioning, and certain medications, such as sedatives and antidepressants. It is important that individuals with osteoporosis be aware of any physical changes that affect their balance or gait, and that they discuss these changes with their health care provider.
Medications
Some medications that are prescribed for other conditions can contribute to bone loss, so be sure to discuss all medication with your doctor. There are a number of medications that are used to prevent osteoporosis by slowing down the rate of bone loss and increasing bone density. But there is only one FDA-approved medicine (teriparatide) that can actually rebuild bone. This drug is usually prescribed for those patients who have a very high risk of breaking a bone. As with all medication, everyone responds differently, so a drug that may be right for one person may not be right for you.
Preventing osteoporosis is a lifelong endeavor. Talk to your health care provider about osteoporosis and ask if a bone density test is right for you. A bone density test is safe, simple, and painless. It involves no injections and takes only minutes to complete.
For more information on osteoporosis or to schedule a bone density screening, you may contact Central Illinois Neuro Health Sciences at 309-662-7500. Shannon Laesch is the bone health consultant at the new Bone Health Clinic, part of Central Illinois Neuro Health Sciences, located at 1015 S. Mercer Ave. in Bloomington. The clinic provides screening, diagnosis, and a comprehensive treatment plan for people who have or are at risk of developing osteoporosis.
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