Treating Osteoporosis

Many people will know that those who suffer from osteoporosis have weak and brittle bones; but what causes that exactly? The fragile nature of their bones comes as a direct result of new bone not being created in time. Your bones are constantly breaking down old tissue and replacing it with newer, healthy bone. If your body can’t keep up with itself, then you start to experience conditions such as osteoporosis.

This condition is caused by diet, medication, and lack of strengthening exercise. Asian and white women are the most at risk of developing this condition, particularly after menopause.

This can be hard in the early stages, as the symptoms aren’t particularly apparent. Bone loss happens gradually and slowly, and it’s only when the brittleness becomes a slight problem that you will be able to identify clear symptoms. However, after the weakening process begins you might begin to notice:

• Your height shortening; this is not a stereotype of older generations, but instead an actual symptom of conditions that are common among more senior age-groups.
• Pain in your back; your vertebrae also suffer from brittleness and are susceptible to painful damage.
• Stooping: both of the above problems can have a profound effect on your posture.
• Broken bones after minor movements and incidents. If you believe a bone breaking is out of the ordinary, then this could be a symptom.

Fractured bones, particularly after a relatively minor fall or injury are often quite a big indicator that you may have osteoporosis. By just hitting the ground you could accidentally break a bone; particularly your hip bone. When this happens in the case of osteoporosis, this is referred to as a ‘fragility fracture.’

For those who suffer from osteoporosis, the most likely places to experience this kind of breakage are the hips, spine, and wrists. The idea of a spinal injury certainly rings alarm bells, while hip and wrist fractures can almost seem relatively harmless. However, this should not be automatically assumed. A bad fracture could have detrimental effects on one’s ability to live independently or without pain.

If you do break a bone and are undiagnosed, do use this as an opportunity to get checked out. Experiencing daily pains and aches are not in themselves reliable indicators of osteoporosis. However, a broken limb, coupled with these pains could be. Your doctor should offer to give you an x-ray to be absolutely clear as to whether or not you have this condition.

Absolutely. However, be sure to visit an experienced therapist who has experience working with a wide variety of customers and ideally those who have osteoporosis. Our massage therapists and physicians have specific treatment plans developed just for those with this condition.

Ideally, you want to prevent getting in the position where you end up developing osteoporosis. While it isn’t possible to reverse the condition, it is possible to prevent yourself from ending up in a position where you inevitably head toward it. Here are some ways to minimize your fate:

• Exercising: strengthening your muscles is great for stimulating that all-important regeneration of bone material. While weight training and strengthening are ideal, it’s not always possible, particularly in older folk. Brisk and short walks could be just as effective for you.
• Calcium and Vitamin D: while there are other ways to get your calcium than just a tall glass of milk, it is indeed important to look after your bones through diet. There are plenty of plant-based kinds of milk that are reinforced with calcium, and Vitamin D now comes in supplement form (helpful if you live in a colder part of the United States.)
• HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy): Hormones play quite an important role in both developing and preventing osteoporosis. You will, however, need to arrange an appointment with your doctor to ensure that it is safe for you to start a course of mediation.
• Quit smoking: The news that smoking is bad for your body isn’t exactly novel, but sadly it is also detrimental to your bone health. If you want to prevent osteoporosis, then try and enroll yourself in a quitting program.

We can not only provide you with a tailored massage plan but also advice on how to make your home safer and also offer some potentially pain-relieving injections. Our goal is to not just provide you with massages to aid your comfort, but also improve your day-to-day quality of life.