Health and Wellness

Have Back Pain? You May Have Osteoporosis

When Osteoporosis occurs, it is not outwardly visible. Diagnosis of fragile and brittle bones happens after a fracture has happened. This disease occurs slowly and silently and is, therefore, called a “silent disease”. 

However, a couple of Osteoporosis symptoms can help you predict if you may be having the disease. If you are in a moment of doubt, you can watch out for the following symptoms:

Osteoporosis.
Source: News 18
  • Loss of height by an inch or more over time
  • Spinal Cord malformations, for instance, stooping, hunching or bending forward posture. The weakening of vertebrae or bones of the spinal cord is also called vertebral crush fracture.
  • Vertebral crush fractures usually happen around the mid or lower back without any injury, resulting in the spinal cord curve being shorter. These fractures pose a high risk of causing fractures to your hips and wrists.
  • A bone that fractures quite easily, also known as a low-impact fracture, is the first sign of Osteoporosis. Fractures occur in the hip, spine or wrist.
  • Pain in the lower back due to a fractured or collapsed vertebra
  • Receding gums
  • The strength of grip has weakened.
  • Nails have become weak and brittle.
  • Bone fracture as a result of fall
  • Bone fracture as a result of minor activities like coughing, lifting or strong sneeze
  • Severe back pain.
  • Neck pain
  • Shortness of breath as a result of smaller capacity of lungs due to compressed disks

If you are currently going through osteoporosis, you need to be careful about orthopaedic appointments. You never know how you will end up harming or damaging you’re your bones and ligaments and require orthopaedic surgery. Everything from your diet to your exercise routines has to be altered according to your present condition.

Exercise

running
Source: Men’s Health

Balanced nutrition consisting of vitamins, minerals, calcium, protein and other essential nutrients is very important to retain bone health. In addition, if physical activity has become a thing of the past in the wake of working for long periods in front of the screen, it’s time you begin a movement of the body. We say this because people with sedentary lifestyles are at a higher risk of losing the strength of their bones in comparison to the ones who exercise regularly.

Balance of the body, strengthening and developing bones takes place with exercising, and an absence of exercise tends to reduce calcium from the bones.

Exercises that will help 

Weight-bearing exercises

weight training for osteoporosis
Source: Dr. Kunal Patel

Weight-bearing exercises are good for maintaining the health of your bones and cardiovascular system. These exercises cause a push and pull in your muscles, resulting in new bone tissues that strengthen the bones. Weight-bearing exercises cause an improvement in weight, heart health and posture. As a result of better balance and coordination, a person has fewer chances of falling and injuring himself, thus preventing bone injury. 

Examples of weight-bearing exercises include – climbing stairs, walking, and dancing.

Resistance exercises

resistance training
Source: Sixty+me

Resistance exercises help to maintain the density of bones. The tendons pulling on the bones boost the strength of the bones. Examples of resistance exercises are – Press-ups, and using weight equipment at the gym.

Other than these, flexibility stability and balance exercises can help improve balance and stability. That said, some exercises should be avoided – such as high-impact exercises and ones that involve bending forward at the waist and twisting the waist.

There are other exercises that a senior person can take up and you can find them here.

It is important to note that too much exercise can cause harm too. Women who exercise a lot to the extent of stopping their periods tend to have low levels of Oestrogen, which risks them losing bone mass and hence contracting Osteoporosis.

Conclusion

healthy lifestyle
Source: Indian Folk

Osteoporosis is a common occurrence. Around 200 million people worldwide, with 54 million people in the US alone, are estimated to have been victims of the disease. To lessen the chances of catching it in the future, start exercising early and continue for the rest of your life to live a healthy life ahead.

Darsh

Darsh is a blogger and previous owner of this website.

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