Osteoporosis

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Osteoporosis is a skeletal disorder in which a reduction in bone mass can result in a disfiguring posture, collapsing vertebrae and an increased susceptibility to bone fractures such as broken hips or spinal compression fractures later in life. The condition can affect both men and women, although much more common in women.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, one in two women over age 65 will develop fractures due to osteoporosis. Usually diagnosed in people around the age of 60, the disease actually begins to develop around age 30 or 35. Steps can be taken to prevent the disease, but it is best to start early in life. At each stage of your life, your level of exercise and calcium intake influences the condition of your bones.

A healthy lifestyle should begin when you are young and continue throughout your life. If you are over 30, it’s not too late to start an osteoporosis prevention program to minimize your risk. Eating right and exercising at any stage of your life will help maintain bone mass and prevent osteoporosis from developing. Studies show that active people tend to maintain their bone mass more so than people who get little or no exercise.

For a woman, it is extremely important to be healthy and active in order to help her body maintain a heavy bone mass through her middle ages and beyond. It is especially important to be healthy during and after menopause. At this time in a woman’s life, there are many hormonal changes, which can lead to weak, thin and brittle bones. After menopause, it is natural for a woman’s bones to lose mass, so preventive measures should be taken to help reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis during this stage of life.

Most experts believe osteoporosis can be prevented but cannot be reversed if already present. But progression of the disease can be slowed down and possibly even stopped through preventive steps.

The best things you can do to reduce your risk of osteoporosis or slow down its progression include:

• Eating a calcium-rich diet (dairy products and leafy green vegetables are especially high in calcium)
• Taking calcium supplements recommended by your physician
• Exercising regularly (for 30 minutes at least 3-4 times a week)
• Taking part in estrogen replacement therapy (if recommended by your physician, this can be an important part of preventing osteoporosis.)

Women are already at a high risk of osteoporosis, so no matter what your age, you should begin taking these preventive measures to help your body fight osteoporosis. But some women are at an even greater risk due to some other risk factors. Complete the checklist below to see how many risk factors you have:

Risk Factor Questionnaire

Are you over age 35?

Are you Caucasian?

Is there a history of osteoporosis in your family?

Do you have a thin, petite build?

Did you experience early menopause (before age 45)?

Are you over age 35 and never been pregnant?

Did you avoid dairy products as a child?

Do you smoke?

Is your diet high in salt, caffeine and/or fat?

Do you get little or no exercise?

If you answered “yes” for just one of the questions, you are at risk for developing osteoporosis. The more questions you answered “yes” to, the higher your risk. But, whether you are young or old, it’s not too late to start living a healthy life with an abundance of healthy foods and physical activities. A healthy lifestyle can decrease your risk for osteoporosis and many other diseases - but you need to start now.

The Erase Your Back Pain program addresses the issue of osteoporosis through the use of flexibility and weight bearing exercises. If you’re a woman with back pain and you’ve been diagnosed with either osteoporosis or osteopenia, or you are at a higher risk of developing this disease, I would urge you to begin taking a proactive stance to ensuring a higher quality of life now and in the future.