Osteoporosis Defined

Do you or someone you know have osteoporosis? Approximately 10% of Americans suffer from osteoporosis. But there is help. Call your Arlington Heights Chiropractor today and find relief from the pain. Debilitating to over 200 million people worldwide and more than 10 million Americans, osteoporosis is defined as a metabolic disease, involving the loss of bone tissue and disorganization of bone structure. In addition to these figures in the United States, another 18 million persons experience low bone mass. These 28 million people represent the pandemic proportions of these bone disorders.

A long list of other diseases may cause bone loss  also called osteopenia. Included in these diseases are many varieties of malignant cancer, hyperthyroidism, and malabsorption syndrome. Osteoporosis is defined as bone loss specifically linked with metabolic factors like calcium levels, vitamin D levels, and the activity of osteoblasts—bone cells that produce bone matrix. Bone matrix is a combination of organic components that includes collagen and inorganic materials such as phosphate and calcium. Loss of bone mass relates to the loss of these components found in the bone matrix.

Differing conditions, circumstances, and deficiencies can be linked to the osteoporosis. Menopause, being over 50 years of age, and smoking are strongly affect bone mass loss and osteoporosis. Other contributing factors are calcium deficiency, vitamin D deficiency, inadequate dietary protein, and certain gastrointestinal syndromes.

Osteoporosis usually affects weight-bearing bones, which include the pelvis, femur (thigh bone), and lumbar vertebrae. If someone experiences bone loss in any of these critical areas, it could result in hip fractures and lumbar spinal fractures. These are the more debilitating and devastating effects of osteoporosis. A lack of exercise is another contributing factor associated with osteoporosis.

To help prevent bone loss and reduce the likelihood of developing osteoporosis, you should engage in regular weight-bearing exercises. Anytime we engage in exercise, and especially when it involves gravity-resistant activities like walking, running, and biking or even other kinds of strength-training exercise, our bodies react by building new muscle and bone. This is a physiological response known as Wolff's law, which claims that bone remodels along lines of physiological stress. To put it another way, the manner in which bone responds to mechanical challenges is by building more bone. Therefore, exercising causes our bodies to create stronger, denser bones that are less easily fractured.

So how does this relate to chiropractic? Well, chiropractic care immediately identifies spinal misalignments, which directly impacts proper functioning of the nerve system. Spinal misalignments include tight and inflamed spinal ligaments and muscles and restrict neck, lower and/or mid back mobility. These factors interrupt the informational flow between the nerve system and the rest of your body. When your cells and tissues don't receive the correct information they need, symptoms and disease likely result.

Preventing symptoms of osteoporosis requires regular, vigorous exercise that requires weights and providing your body proper nutrition in order to maintain healthy bones. Also, correcting spinal misalignments and optimizing nerve system functioning through regular chiropractic care lets your body function properly, optimizing benefits from exercise and nutrition to maintain healthy, strong bones.

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