Keeping Your Bones Strong and Healthy

Your bones.  An adult has 206 of them and they are needed for structure, protection, movement and more.  So, it’s important that you take care of your bones, just like you try to take care of your eyes or your heart.

As a person ages, it is not uncommon for bone loss to occur.  In fact, bone fractures in the senior population are often the result of weakness within the bones.  There are two common conditions that can occur:

• Osteopenia – When bone mineral density (BMD) is lower than normal, but not low enough to be considered osteoporosis

• Osteoporosis – The “fragile bone disease” that is characterized by decreased bone mass due to a deficiency in calcium, magnesium, Vitamin D, and other vitamins and minerals

There are many causes of these conditions, but one main cause is the aging process in general.  You see, our bodies are constantly making and replacing bone.  As young adults, we make bone faster than we reabsorb the the existing bone.  However, that process slows down as we age and therefore the reabsorption of bone is faster than we can make it, leading to bone density loss.

As stated above, one of the common issues with bone loss is the increased risk of fractures.  In fact, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, osteoporosis causes approximately 2 million fractures per year.  The most common fractures in the senior population are the hip, spine and wrist.

To determine if you may have osteopenia or osteoporosis, you should speak with your doctor.  They may recommend a test that measures the amount of bone density that you currently have.

Three factors to keeping your bones healthy throughout your life include:

• adequate amounts of calcium

• adequate amounts of vitamin D

• adequate exercise

Take your bone health seriously and work to ensure that your bones remain strong.  Take care of them and they will take care of you.