About Osteoporosis

hound9_4 asked:


What I have heard of, from time to time, is that bones grow faster and denser in the presence of electromagnetic fields. This is supposedly the reason that doing weight-bearing exercise is good for increasing bone density and building bone mass; bones are apparently piezoelectric materials, and when stressed, produce their own EM fields. I have also heard of treatments for broken bones where a cast is wired and the wires connected to batteries, so that the bones heal much faster and are denser than they would be otherwise.

How true is this? Can we use this to combat osteoporosis by placing people at risk of osteoporosis in weak electromagnetic fields?

Aaron

eamcullen asked:


If there are none, can anyone make a suggestion as to affective osteoporosis medicine that might be found in Asia? This could be life-saving! Pease, any suggestions will be taken into consideration. Thank you.

Clara

Dr. Rita Louise asked:


Our skeletal system consists of bones of a variety of different shapes and sizes. It serves many different functions including providing a framework for the body in which to support the tissues and protect the vital organs. It acts as levers, working with the muscles to produce body movement. It also works to produce red blood cells within the marrow and serves as a reservoir for calcium and phosphorus.

Calcium is one of the primary minerals required for normal bone formation as well as for many of our biological functions. As we grow, the body uses calcium to create new bone. At around the age of around 35, we achieve peak bone mass. After that, bone mass gradually and steadily declines and which if left unchecked can cause our bone tissue to become weak and brittle. Osteoporosis occurs when the body fails to form enough new bone or when too much calcium is reabsorbed back into the body to support its necessary biological functions or both.

Often thought of as a women’s disorder, osteoporosis is the most common type of bone disease, a disease in which the bones become fragile and more likely to break. Many times individuals who have decreased bone density don’t even know it. Progressing gradually over many years, often times the first indication of a problem is when a bone suddenly breaks such as in the hips, wrists or spine. The truth is, any bone can be affected and activities as insignificant as laughing, coughing or light lifting can cause a fracture.

There are two different kinds of osteoporosis – Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 Osteoporosis is only found in post-menopausal women and is directly related to estrogen deficiency. Type 2 osteoporosis can be found in both men and women and is due to both aging and a prolonged calcium deficiency. Other causes of osteoporosis can include Cushing syndrome, hyperthyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, being confined to bed, bone cancer and a family history of osteoporosis.

If you smoke, have an eating disorder, have low body weight, consume a low calcium diet, consume alcohol in excess, experienced early menopause or are taking certain medications including steroids and anticonvulsants you may also be at a greater risk of developing osteoporosis. 

Osteoporosis is not a new health disorder and there are a large number of tried and true natural and alternative health remedies that can be used to prevent or minimize bone loss.

Recommendations For Wellness

If you are concerned about your bone health, talk to your doctor about having a bone density test done, especially if you are a woman over the age of 50.

Consume a diet of calcium rich foods. Calcium can be found in all milk products as well as in tofu, salmon, sardines (with the bones) and dark leafy green vegetables.

Supplement your daily food intake with supplemental calcium to ensure you are getting the recommended amount of calcium daily.

Go outside and get some sun. Exposure to the sun causes our body to produce vitamin D – a vitamin that aids in calcium absorption. If that’s not possible, add a vitamin D supplement to your daily health routine.

Start an exercise program. The best exercises for bone health are weight-bearing exercises which force you to work against gravity. Activities such as lifting weights, walking, hiking, jogging, climbing stairs and dancing are all excellent for your bones.

Quit smoking, eliminate caffeine and carbonated soft drinks and reduce your salt intake, each of which enhances calcium loss from the body.

Limit alcohol consumption. Heavy alcohol use can lead to decreased bone formation.

Talk to your doctor or health care practitioner about Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy. Hormone replacement therapy has been shown to help prevent bone loss and increase bone density.

Some studies indicate that foods such as spinach, chard, beet greens and chocolate! Contain substances that can prevent calcium absorption.

Herbs such as horsetail, oat straw and alfalfa have been traditionally used in North America as effective remedies for osteoporosis.

Studies suggest that magnesium may help to improve bone density and assist in calcium absorption. If blood levels are low, magnesium supplementation may be helpful.

The mineral zinc is required in a number of biological processes which include the formation of a strong bone structure. Scientists have discovered that individuals with osteoporosis often have low zinc levels.

© Copyright Body, Mind & SoulHealer – www.soulhealer.com 2007. All rights reserved.

Darren

Jeff Foster asked:


A disease in which bones begin to lose their density leading to a significant increase in the risk for fracture bones, osteoporosis can lead to severe complications which increase both morbidity and mortality following bone fractures.

The older you get, the more at risk you are for bone fractures and for the development of osteoporosis.

With age bones begin to lose collagen, protein, and calcium all of which are responsible for helping to strengthen bones and to hopefully prevent fractures.

For those of you who have been diagnosed with either osteoporosis or even osteopenia you are at the highest risk for fractures related to the loss of bone density and strength.

These fractures can result from even the most minor injury. Osteoporotic fractures are known to occur when it seems that you are doing nothing at all.

Sometimes fractures occur with even routine daily activities.

This is the risk of osteoporosis.

Those most at risk for future osteoporotic fractures are those who have already suffered them in the past. Some research indicates that for postmenopausal women who have already endured a vertebral fracture in the previous 12 months will also experience a subsequent fracture in the coming 12 months.

That is a rather sobering statistic. It is for this reason that early and aggressive treatment and management of osteoporosis must be secured.

Osteoporosis is not something that is best left ignore or even under treated.

Aggressive treatment is necessary in order to hopefully obtain the best outcome.

With aggressive treatment and long-term management the hope is that you can significantly reduce your risk for more fractures related to osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis complications include both morbidity and mortality. Some who suffer from osteoporosis also suffer from a significant amount of pain, as well as days absent from work related to osteoporosis complications, decrease in quality of life, and for some, even permanent disability.

Often times for those who suffer from any osteoporotic fracture they never fully recover.

Hip fractures are a common complication of osteoporosis and not only put patients at risk for orthopedic complications and required surgery associated with this condition but also make patients more susceptible to deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, pneumonia and other immobility issues such as a loss of muscle tone and strength.

Many who suffer a hip fracture related to osteoporosis find themselves requiring long-term nursing home care after the initial recovery period due to the morbidity associated with the fracture. The current mortality rate in the first 12 months after a hip fracture is thought to be approximately 20%.

Kyphosis is a serious osteoporosis complication in which vertebral fractures ultimately lead to spinal deformity which can cause the hunchback known as kyphosis. With kyphosis, the internal organs become compressed due to the deformity which can lead to breathing difficulties.

Osteoporosis must be aggressively managed in hopes of avoiding future long-term complications. The serious complications associated with osteoporosis are ones which can severely alter your daily life.

Seeking medical care for osteoporosis is a decision you must make if you intend to regain control of your life and hope to ever stop the progression of osteoporosis complications.

Rebecca

Michael Porteous asked:


Osteoporosis is a condition of low bone density leading to fragile and easily broken bones. Knowing why such a condition comes about is most important in learning how to combat the condition, unfortunately there is no single cause of osteoporosis but there are quite a few major causes of osteoporosis that we can detect.

First we need to understand why the bones become so weak in a person with osteoporosis.

Bones are a living tissue that is constantly being renewed through a process called “remodeling”. This is where cells called osteoclasts search through bones in your body looking for old bone that needs replacing. When they find such an area the cells destroy that old bone leaving a small space in the bone. While this is happening cells call osteoblasts are also searching through the bone, however this cell is looking for the spaces left by the osteoclasts. When the osteoblasts find these empty spaces they have the power to fill that space with new bone. This process goes on our whole lives constantly regrowing the bones in our body.

Someone who has osteoporosis means that those spaces left by the osteoclasts are not being filled quickly enough and leave the bone with a kind of honeycomb effect making it less dense and more prone to breakage. So this is the direct cause of the condition, but why do we have this imbalance in bone renewal?

Healthy bones are a product of a healthy body and a healthy body has healthy blood. However in today’s western society we do not always have a healthy body or blood. In fact our blood often becomes acidic which is very bad for us. The body responds by stripping calcium from the bone to redress the acid levels but this calcium is not deposited back into the bone leaving a shortfall that the bone cannot make up while we continue to pollute our blood.

The cause of this acidic blood is varied but mainly based on what we eat. A diet high in protein with lots of meat, processed food and dairy products causes our blood to change and start down the road to osteoporosis, only by changing our diet can we hold off conditions like this and in turn many other problems like heart disease and diabetes. Smoking and excessive drinking also pollute the body and add to the condition while a lack of exercise, especially weight based training will accelerate it.

So we see the cause of osteoporosis is not some hereditary disease, in fact it is a condition not a disease as it is just a byproduct of our lifestyle, eating habits and exercise. It is therefore possible to stop these causes of osteoporosis and lead a healthier life by controlling our lifestyles to eat more alkaline based food, exercise with weights and resistance training and generally try to live healthier!

Todd

Toria K asked:


I’m working for a lady who has osteopenia (a form of osteoporosis) and she wants to try some alternative methods of treatment. She’s also trying to find some sort of vitamin or supplement that would have calcium, vitamin D, Boron, Mangesium, and/or other components that help protect bone mass. If you know of any or can give any tips, please let me know!

Wayne

Jeff Foster asked:


A loss of bone density and strength can ultimately lead to a diagnosis of osteoporosis and the potential of years ahead of morbidity that you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. Diagnosing osteoporosis must be taken seriously and it must be diagnosed as early as possible so that you can salvage as much bone loss as you can.

There are very high health costs associated with an inaccurate or a missed diagnosis of osteoporosis since this can lead to unnecessary bone loss and additional fractures that could have been prevented.

When you see your physician for an exam and she is trying to determine if you have osteoporosis, and if this is a positive diagnosis, she will also look to determine if you have either primary or secondary osteoporosis.

Primary osteoporosis means the osteoporosis itself is the root of the problem. Secondary osteoporosis means that there is an underlying health condition that is creating the osteoporosis. Some of the causes of secondary osteoporosis can be chronic alcohol use, diabetes, Cushing’s disease, lymphoma, multiple myeloma or even Marfan’s syndrome. Your healthcare provider must know whether you have primary or secondary osteoporosis since the treatment is different for both.

The gold standard used when diagnosing osteoporosis is the DEXA scan, which disperses very low amounts of radiation. This test takes about 10 minutes to complete and is totally painless. With the DEXA scan the bones in the hip, the spine or the wrist are examined to determine the accurate density of the bone.

Your physician will interpret the results and based on standardized findings will be able to The DEXA scan will be able to establish if you are at a higher risk than others in the norm group to sustain a bone fracture.

Current recommendations suggest that all women over the age of 65, postmenopausal women under the age of 65 who have multiple risk factors, patients who have taken a long-term course of oral corticosteroids, and patients with a hyperparathyroidism should have a DEXA scan to determine bone density and risks.

Diagnosing osteoporosis is a painless and rather simple thing for your health care practitioner to do. Particularly if you are in the risk group, see your healthcare provider for a complete history and physical exam along with any appropriate bone scans, such as the DEXA scan so that you can have a definitive diagnosis of osteoporosis or not. Your health depends on it.

We all want to live healthy and when there is something so simple that you can do about it, take action. There’s no pain involved…well, that is unless you choose to ignore your osteoporosis and then you will have to contend the rest of your life with the results of bone fractures that you possible could have avoided.

Make the call! Your health deserves it!

Lynn

j_nee_middleton asked:


what is osteoporosis?

Oscar

David Cowley asked:


It’s interesting that many people assume that osteoporosis is a women’s disease; it’s true that this condition affects some four times as many women as men, but men too can suffer from this dangerous and even deadly condition.
Osteoporosis is a disease that attacks the integrity of the bone structure.  This can lead to bone weakness and eventual fractures.  Unfortunately many people don’t know that they have this condition until a bone actually breaks.  While this may not sound very dangerous - a broken bone is easily mended, right?  In reality the fractures can typically happen in the areas of the back and hip.  A hip fracture can be very dangerous and usually requires surgery with a hospital stay, and may interfere with one’s ability to walk without assistance.  In severe cases they can be deadly.  Someone with osteoporosis needs to take this condition very seriously, and everyone else should be doing everything they can to avoid getting the disease in the first place.
Getting Tested
Doctors today can do a simple bone density test for those at risk for getting osteoporosis.  This includes women approaching menopause, women with very small bone structure, and those taking medications that can cause the disease.  The bone scan is not painful or invasive; it is something like a full-body x-ray. 
Your doctor can also prescribe medications if you already have the disease or are at a greater risk for contracting it; but before that time, try taking a daily calcium supplement, exercising, and stopping smoking.  It is best to avoid getting osteoporosis in the first place.
Natural Treatments
The bones are made up mostly of calcium; taking calcium supplements is one of the best forms of natural treatments.  There are many reasons why the bones may have less calcium than they need to be strong and healthy.  Many times it’s simply genetics and the way a body is naturally.  Some people may do certain things that leech calcium from the system, such as drinking large amounts of cola or other highly acidic beverages.  Acid of course wears away calcium from the body’s system.  Smoking dehydrates the body and also damages calcium reserves.  If taking a calcium supplement as a prevention for osteoporosis it’s important to keep in mind that you need adequate amounts of vitamin D as this helps the body to absorb calcium properly.  Most calcium supplements you purchase at the pharmacy also have vitamin D added; be sure to get one that does.
Believe it or not, exercise and weight lifting actually increases bone strength as well as muscle strength.  Increasing your physical fitness levels and adding some weight lifting can also help prevent osteoporosis. 
Other Vitamins and over the counter products you may want to consider and why are:
Calcium, Magnesium and Vitamin D supplied in high doses have shown to increase bone mass as much as 25 to 30 percent over a six month period.
Fluoride has been found to increase the bond density in older women.
Glucosamine provides cartilage nutrition for healthy joints.
Vitamin A is needed to promote healthy bones and teeth.
Vitamin E promotes the natural body healing mechanism.
Multiple Minerals are needed for healthy bones and teeth.
Boron is known as the calcium helper and assists calcium absorption and utilization in the body.
Always consult your doctor before using this information.
This Article is nutritional in nature and is not to be construed as medical advice.

Corey

odonche asked:


I’m a 42 years old man with HIV under ARV treatment, and I have severe osteoporosis. It seems very mysterious to me, and to most of my doctors. Can anyone help?

Tommy