A silent epidemic plagues the UK, killing (according to the BBC) 40 people a day and breaking 200,000 bones a year. No, we are not talking about drunk drivers or serial killers: we are referring to osteoporosis.
What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is an illness in which our bones become thinner and more brittle. Sometimes referred to as fragile bone disease, osteoporosis occurs when the honeycomb mesh inside our bones starts developing cracks, causing the bones to weaken and break more easily (especially the spine, hips, and wrist).
It is often referred to as a silent epidemic because few people realize they have the disease, attributing their back pains to arthritis or simply old age. While this judgement isnt necessarily wrong, it is important to remember that osteoporosis is something different altogether. It causes many breaks each year, and brittle bones do not heal easily.
What causes it?
Osteoporosis is often caused by a combination of factors, age, gender, and genetics being the most prevalent. People whose parents have weaker bones and get fractures frequently tend to be more predisposed to developing the disease than others. Our bones also naturally lose honeycomb density as part of the aging process, becoming gradually weaker; therefore it should not be surprising that 50% of the British population suffers from some form of osteoporosis by the age seventy-five.
While osteoporosis has often been seen as a problem of the elderly, the National Osteoporosis Society has recently acquired new research that suggests that younger people are also affected, particularly those who are underweight.
As far as gender is concerned, research has revealed that women are particularly at risk due to the fact that they often have smaller and weaker bones than men, which gets further complicated when women undergo menopause. The female hormone oestrogen provides protection for the bones, but when menopause hits around age fifty, the body no longer produces this hormone, leaving the bones exposed and unprotected.
How to prevent it:
- Get the proper nutrition early on in life
- Increase your calcium and Vitamin D intake " the vitamin D ensures that the calcium gets absorbed, contributing to healthier, stronger bones. Also reduce the amount of alcohol, caffeine, and fizzy drinks you consume, as these disrupt the calcium balance in your body.
- Get checkups from your osteopath on a regular basis
How is it treated?
- Sufferers are recommended to do gentle exercises every day, but nothing intense
- For women who have already gone through menopause, drug treatments (i.e. hormone replacements) can be taken to encourage the production of oestrogen
- Get an osteopath to advise you on a treatment that is specific to your case and body type " medications can be taken to stop the disease from progressing.
While car accidents might take more lives a year than osteoporosis does, this silent illness does create huge numbers of casualties. But as long as the proper osteopaths are consulted and you maintain a balanced diet, you should not have many problems keeping your bones " and your body " healthy.
What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is an illness in which our bones become thinner and more brittle. Sometimes referred to as fragile bone disease, osteoporosis occurs when the honeycomb mesh inside our bones starts developing cracks, causing the bones to weaken and break more easily (especially the spine, hips, and wrist).
It is often referred to as a silent epidemic because few people realize they have the disease, attributing their back pains to arthritis or simply old age. While this judgement isnt necessarily wrong, it is important to remember that osteoporosis is something different altogether. It causes many breaks each year, and brittle bones do not heal easily.
What causes it?
Osteoporosis is often caused by a combination of factors, age, gender, and genetics being the most prevalent. People whose parents have weaker bones and get fractures frequently tend to be more predisposed to developing the disease than others. Our bones also naturally lose honeycomb density as part of the aging process, becoming gradually weaker; therefore it should not be surprising that 50% of the British population suffers from some form of osteoporosis by the age seventy-five.
While osteoporosis has often been seen as a problem of the elderly, the National Osteoporosis Society has recently acquired new research that suggests that younger people are also affected, particularly those who are underweight.
As far as gender is concerned, research has revealed that women are particularly at risk due to the fact that they often have smaller and weaker bones than men, which gets further complicated when women undergo menopause. The female hormone oestrogen provides protection for the bones, but when menopause hits around age fifty, the body no longer produces this hormone, leaving the bones exposed and unprotected.
How to prevent it:
- Get the proper nutrition early on in life
- Increase your calcium and Vitamin D intake " the vitamin D ensures that the calcium gets absorbed, contributing to healthier, stronger bones. Also reduce the amount of alcohol, caffeine, and fizzy drinks you consume, as these disrupt the calcium balance in your body.
- Get checkups from your osteopath on a regular basis
How is it treated?
- Sufferers are recommended to do gentle exercises every day, but nothing intense
- For women who have already gone through menopause, drug treatments (i.e. hormone replacements) can be taken to encourage the production of oestrogen
- Get an osteopath to advise you on a treatment that is specific to your case and body type " medications can be taken to stop the disease from progressing.
While car accidents might take more lives a year than osteoporosis does, this silent illness does create huge numbers of casualties. But as long as the proper osteopaths are consulted and you maintain a balanced diet, you should not have many problems keeping your bones " and your body " healthy.
About the Author:
Andrew Mitchell, editor of the Osteopath Network, writes articles on cranial osteopaths, osteopaths, Brighton osteopaths, back pain, neck pain, injury management. Andrew is interested in many aspects of alternative medicine.
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