Osteoporosis is a common condition that affects 55% of Americans aged 50 and older, and more frequently affects women. In fact, women account for 80% of diagnosed osteoporosis cases. Osteopenia, (think of it as pre-osteoporosis) is categorized as the weakening of bones and is often the first step toward initiating testing and formal diagnosis of osteoporosis. If you’ve been diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis, improving posture and balance, and building muscle and bone through weight-bearing exercises can help you maintain bone density levels and reduce future complications.

What Are the Symptoms of Osteoporosis?

Unfortunately, there are typically no symptoms to warn you! For this reason, it’s referred to as a “silent” disease. Some people diagnosed with osteoporosis report unusual body or bone achiness, or an injury or minor accident, such as a fall, may lead to unexpected fractures of bones. For those with advanced osteoporosis, normal stresses such as bending, lifting, or even coughing can result in spontaneous fractures. This can make daily life increasingly difficult and significantly restrict movement.

Protect Your Bones Through Movement

If you have been told you're at high risk for osteopenia or osteoporosis, going to chiropractic care now is a proactive way to help prevent this bone disease.

If you’ve received a formal diagnosis of osteoporosis, chiropractic care is an effective non-surgical treatment that may help restore healthy movement, function, and bone strength. A chiropractor will teach you exercises for bone health and ways to manage your daily activities to lessen your chances of having an osteoporosis-related fracture.

How Your Chiropractor Can Help

Your chiropractor will create a program personalized for you and your diagnosis. Along with a thorough evaluation, they will also take into consideration your overall health, age, fitness level, and your personal risk for fractures, to help tailor your rehabilitation program specifically for you.

Bone tissue is constantly being broken down and replaced—it’s normal. However, when osteoporosis is present, the bone tissue is breaking down faster than it’s being replaced, which decreases bone density and strength. During a chiropractic adjustment, the cells that replace bone tissue (osteoblasts) are stimulated, which allows them to get to work on the bones quicker to rebuild lost tissue. So having a chiropractic adjustment can actually help strengthen your bones.

Additionally, this bone fragility brings great risk. Due to the weakness of the bones, a seemingly harmless fall or trip on a curb can cause a severe fracture. Chiropractic treatments, such as spinal manipulations and rehabilitative exercises, will increase your range of motion and improve your balance to help prevent falls. Also, holistic nutrition counseling will help address some of the “controllable factors” that can prevent osteoporosis and aid in your recovery.

Your chiropractor can even provide guidance on simple changes to make in your home and/or office to help keep you safe. They will also invest time during your care in educating you about safe ways to do everyday activities—from how to correctly lie down to how to sneeze properly—that will help you avoid fractures.

Get Active With Chiropractic Care

At MCR Chiropractic, we’ll create an individualized care plan for you and work together to get you on the  best path toward stronger bones and a healthier life. Take a proactive step in your future and call MCR Chiropractic today.

Contact your nearest MCR Chiropractic location or complete the form below to request an evaluation.

Resources:

• https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/osteoporosis/osteoporosis-0
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4176573/
• https://www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org/