Osteoporosis
What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a disease that makes the bones in the body become fragile and brittle, causing them to fracture. Minor incidents such as small bumps and falls can cause major problems in someone suffering from osteoporosis. Over half of all women and a third of men over 60 in Australia will suffer from osteoporosis. Sufferers of osteoporosis can endure effects that last for years, eventually leading to long term disability or even death.
The main cause of osteoporosis is a lack of hormones. Estrogen in women and androgen in men. Due to the human body no longer producing these hormones in the volumes it would at a younger age is what leads to the bone fractures. Often people do not know they have osteoporosis until they suffer a bone fracture.
Keeping your bones strong and healthy as you age is key in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Women over 45, who will lose 1 – 2% of bone each year, will find this task becomes more difficult as this phase can last anywhere between 15 to 20 years after menopause. Male patients do not have to worry about their hormones dropping suddenly due to an event like menopause, allowing them to maintain bone density for longer in comparison.
How can a Chiropractor help?
Our chiropractors can undertake a hands-on approach to helping treat osteoporosis. Chiropractic work is safer to undertake when no bone fractures are present. Our chiropractors will undertake bone scans, X-rays and / or mineral density tests on patients that we suspect or know are suffering from osteoporosis. This will reduce the risk when administering adjustments on patients.
Our chiropractors can also provide exercises for patients to undertake to help keep the body fit. We can also offer nutrition plans to help keep your body on track when combating osteoporosis.
The success of treatments will depend on the individual and the techniques being used by our chiropractors. Success is also linked to how long the patient has experienced the symptoms, the amount of degeneration occurring in the patient and on what type of pain the patient is experiencing.