Osteoporosis and Exercise
COMMONSENSE CHIROPRACTIC CARE
DR. LEE DEBLON
Exercise a Key Component to Avoiding Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is one of the world's most common chronic
diseases. It affects one-third of all women over age 50
(making it more common than breast cancer), and one in five
men (making it more common than prostate cancer). A new report
released by the International Osteoporosis Foundation examines
some of the causes behind osteoporosis, and offers several
suggestions for people of all ages on how to avoid the
condition later in life.
The report, entitled Move It or Lose It, was published to
commemorate World Osteoporosis Day. Among the report's
highlights:
* In girls, the amount of bone tissue accumulated between the
ages of 11 and 13 equates to approximately the same amount of
bone tissue lost in the 30 years following menopause.
* Exercise appears to be the key to increasing (or retaining)
bone mass. A study in Finland found that the most physically
active young girls gain about 40 percent more bone mass than
girls who are the least physically active.
* A study was conducted on postmenopausal women who used small
weights to strengthen their back muscles for approximately two
years. At a 10-year followup, women who exercised had stronger
back muscles than those who did not exercise. Perhaps most
importantly, they had reduced the chance of getting a fracture
by approximately 300 percent.
* Exercise also greatly reduces the risk of falls in the
elderly, an important statistic considering that each year,
approximately 40 percent of people over 65 suffer at least one
fall. Individually tailored exercise programs and group
exercises such as tai chi appear to be the most effective in
reducing the incidence of falls and fall-related injuries.
The Move It or Lose It report is available for free on the
International Osteoporosis Foundation's Web site
(www.osteofound.org). In addition, talk to your doctor of
chiropractic about ways to combat osteoporosis, including
exercise and rehabilitation programs, and diet and lifestyle
modifications.
The primary reason for bringing this information to your attention is,
when patients tell us that they have been scanned and told that they have osteoporosis,...We ask,... Was exercise discussed with you as a way to combat osteoporosis?. The reply for all except 2 people was NO !. We then explain to them that we recommend swimming and exercises in the pool first with a walking and light weight program second. The second question we ask is,...Was nutrtion and lifestyle changes discussed, such as smoking, drinking alcohol,weight loss, but most imortantly their diets and the vitamin supplements they are taking or not. The answer we receive is again NO! We explain that osteoporosis support is more than eating calcium supplements and taking drugs.There was a report done a number of years ago that stated that when people walked 3 times per week with an average of a mile to a mile and a half for 6 weeks, their osteoporosis improved at their next scan by 50%. This was without any drugs at all, something to think about.
If there are any questions that you may have, do not hesitate to call Denise or myself at our offices in Honesdale or in Lords Valley at either 253-0904 or 775-6656. We have always offered a FREE examination and consultation for the past 23 years.