Living with Osteoporosis: A Guide to Strengthening Your Bones
Receiving a diagnosis of osteoporosis can be frustrating and upsetting, especially when it feels like the damage is already done. However, you're not alone. Osteoporosis affects over 20 million Americans and leads to approximately 1.5 million fractures each year, making it one of the leading public health problems in the United States (1).
Osteoporosis, often referred to as the "silent disease," usually does not cause any symptoms until a fracture occurs. It's important to note that men can also develop osteoporosis, although it's more common in older women and those with small frames. Other risk factors include low body weight, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, certain medications, and family history.
But with the right approach, you can take proactive steps to improve your bone health and reduce your risk of fractures.
Here are some tips:
- Engage in weight-bearing exercises, such as CrossFit, walking, running, dancing, hiking, stair climbing, and jumping rope.
- Prioritize dietary calcium from whole food sources rather than specific calcium supplements.
- Get enough vitamins C, D, K, potassium, and magnesium from sunlight exposure, supplements, and foods like brown rice, seeds, leafy greens, and whole grains.
- Be mindful of calcium inhibitors by avoiding excessive amounts of oxalic acid-containing foods such as spinach, beet greens, and chard.
- If you are a blood donor, thank you. Consider donating whole blood instead of blood components through apheresis, as the anticoagulants used in apheresis remove calcium from the blood.
- Consult with a healthcare professional for personalized advice based on your needs and medical history. They may recommend medication if lifestyle changes are insufficient. Monitor your progress with regular bone density scans.
Falls are a common concern, especially for older adults. Exercises and activities that can help reduce your risk of falling include balance and flexibility exercises, yoga, strength training, weightlifting, functional exercises, and making environmental modifications in your home like decluttering and removing trip hazards, as well as wearing properly fitting shoes. Examples of functional activities include pushing, pulling, bending, squatting, walking, lunging, and core strength exercises are also beneficial.
By staying informed and following a personalized plan, you can strengthen your bones and lower your risk of fractures.
Make the changes you need to for yourself. Encourage independence and confidence in others by sharing what you’ve learned. Let Grandma carry her grocery bags.
To learn more:
Grab the Plantrician Project bone health fact sheet: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:cf4d480d-ac4e-4a10-b29f-b19a7b8b534b
Check out a list of calcium foods from the Vegetarian Resource Group
Learn how menopause affects bone density in this paper by Finkelstein et al https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2266953/
Comentarios