What does it “look” like and what does it “feel” like?
Well, usually most people don’t know they have it until their first fracture. Osteoporosis is where the bone has become weakened over time due to an imbalance in how the body is rebuilding and breaking the bones down (which is an ongoing process happening throughout life). When this is disrupted calcium can be taken from the bone leaving it weaker and prone to breaking.
So, if there are no symptoms - how do you know if you have it? Well, there are certain risk factors - e.g. having a history of osteoporosis in your family, being a
post-menopausal woman, having been underweight or not having periods for part of your life, having digestive problems and also being vitamin D deficient. Men can get osteoporosis but women are at a greater risk generally.
What can we do about it?
Eat a healthy, well rounded diet and make sure you remain a healthy weight but more importantly - LOAD YOUR BODY! When we do exercise with weights - such as lifting weights or walking with a backpack, this stimulates a response in our body to strengthen our bones. This really is the best thing you can do to lessen your chance of osteoporosis.
Mini Blog by Alex Corser D.O M.Ost PgCert SPOP
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