A silent threat has been sweeping the UK; one which (according to the BBc) is responsible for breaking 200,000 bones a year and killing 40 people a day. No, we are not referring to traffic accidents or serial killers – we are talking about osteoporosis.
What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis, sometimes also known as “fragile bone disease,” refers to an illness in which our bones weaken and break more easily. It happens when the gaps are created within the honeycomb mesh inside our bones, making them more brittle, particularly the wrist, hips, and spine.
It is often referred to as a silent epidemic because few people realize they have the disease, attributing their back pains to arthritis or simply old age. While this judgement isn’t necessarily wrong, it is important to remember that osteoporosis is something different altogether. It causes many breaks each year, and brittle bones do not heal easily.
How is it caused?
Osteoporosis is often the result of a combination of factors, but the main contributors are genetics, age, and gender. If your parents have weak bones and are prone to frequent fractures, you might be more susceptible to developing osteoporosis. Bones also tend to weaken as a natural part of the aging process, gradually losing honeycomb density, so it should come as no surprise that by the age of seventy-five, 50% of the British population suffers from some degree of osteoporosis.
While osteoporosis has often been associated with growing old, recent studies conducted by the National Osteoporosis Society have uncovered that the disease affects younger people as well, especially those who are underweight.
As far as gender is concerned, research has revealed that women are particularly at risk due to the fact that they often have smaller and weaker bones than men, which gets further complicated when women undergo menopause. The female hormone oestrogen provides protection for the bones, but when menopause hits around age fifty, the body no longer produces this hormone, leaving the bones exposed and unprotected.
How is it prevented?
- Ensure that you receive good nutrition early on in life.
- Getting plenty of calcium (and plenty of Vitamin D to absorb the calcium) is essential for healthy bones. Also avoid drinking too much alcohol, caffeine, and fizzy drinks – these could disrupt the calcium balance in your body.
- Get frequent checkups from an osteopath to ensure that you are in good health
How is it treated?
- Sufferers are recommended to do gentle exercises every day, but nothing intense
- For females who have stopped producing oestrogen, drug treatments are available (such as hormone replacement) to help restore oestrogen levels which protect the bones.
- Get an osteopath to advise you on a treatment that is specific to your case and body type – medications can be taken to stop the disease from progressing.
While car accidents might take more lives a year than osteoporosis does, this silent illness does create huge numbers of casualties. But as long as the proper osteopaths are consulted and you maintain a balanced diet, you should not have many problems keeping your bones – and your body – healthy.
The content of this page is informed by feedback from clinics in Middlesex and also practices in Worcester. Further input was received from a practitioner in Sheffield and osteopaths in the Covent Garden area. Finally a contribution was made by osteopathic practitioners in Hove.