According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 1 in 2
woman over the age of 50, and 1 in 4 men in the same age group will suffer a
hip fracture due to osteoporosis.
There
are currently 10 million Americans with osteoporosis, 8 million of which are
women. The cost of osteoporosis to the
United States Health Care system is $43 million dollars a day. Osteoporosis is becoming an epidemic in this
country. Perhaps the most somber
statistic is that 1 in 4 women who suffer an osteoporotic hip fracture will die
within one year of that fracture. This
is not a disease to be taken lightly. As
with most healthcare problems in the United States, prevention is the key. When you are already diagnosed with
osteoporosis and put on a medication such as Fosamax, it is too late. The key is to prevent the disorder from
happening.
One important point with
osteoporosis is that women build all of their bone density by the age of
20. Thus, building bone in childhood and
the teenage years becomes very important.
So, how do we build bone and prevent osteoporosis. First, weight-bearing exercise is vastly
important. As stress is placed on a
bone, the bone responds by laying down more bone to strengthen the area. Even walking for fifteen minutes a day can
positively affect bone density. However,
if the body does not have the building blocks it will not be able to make more
bone.
The building blocks to good bone
density include calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D. It is very important to build bone, but it is
even more important that we aren’t taking calcium and bone out of our body as
well. Caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol
have all been shown to leech calcium out of your bones. So, we must all stop smoking and drinking. It is also important to note that
osteoporosis is not just an elderly persons disease. If we do not watch what we do, we can develop
osteoporosis at a much younger age.
Getting your bone density checked is a great first step on the road to
better bone health. A bone density test
can give a good starting point and a good reference point for later in
life. Most importantly, you should be
evaluated by a doctor to determine your risks and treatment options. Osteoporosis is definitely a disease you want
to be ahead of.
You do not want to be
lying in bed with a fractured hip before you decide to think about your bone
health. As always, prevention is the
key, get out, walk, take your vitamins, and a get a check up, before it is too
late.
Ask your Chiropractor today! Call our office today at (908) 813-8200 or complete our easy online form to schedule an initial consultation.
“It is a noble work to
be a nurse, and nurse the sick. It is a
great profession of physicians who relieve the suffering, but greater than all
is the chiropractor who can adjust the cause of disease and get them well.”
-Dr. B.J. Palmer
Dr. James Fedich
CHIROPRACTOR
info@villagefamlychiro.com
http://www.villagefamilychiro.com/
This is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. This information is not a substitute for the advice of a doctor.
info@villagefamlychiro.com
http://www.villagefamilychiro.com/
This is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. This information is not a substitute for the advice of a doctor.
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