It Is Never Too Late To Improve Your Bone Health

May 1, 2019

Maria Nolan

I’m sure many of us of a certain age will remember that advertisement “Them bones them bones need calcium…” which was aimed at getting us all to drink more milk and get more calcium into our diets to improve bone health.

Calcium is vital to our bone and teeth health but vitamin D is also hugely important as it helps improve calcium absorption and bone growth. Vitamin D deficiency has been an issue in the UK in recent decades, but thankfully people are now more aware of it and are improving their vitamin D intake through eating a more balanced diet, supplements and getting a bit more sun.

Why is bone health so important?

Our skeleton is made up of many joints and bones and acts as a frame to provide support, movement and protection for the softer tissues that make up the remainder of the body. Our bones never stop growing and are constantly going through a process of replacing old bone with new bone.

Poor bone health can lead to osteoporosis. This causes bones to become brittle and weak and can lead to fractures, most commonly in the hip, spine and wrist. Something as simple as coughing or bending over can be enough to cause bone fractures. It is known as a ‘silent disease’ because very often is often not diagnosed until a broken bone has already occurred.

To a large extent, our bone health is influenced by factors outside of our control such as age, gender and genetics but there are some factors that we can control, particularly our diet and physical activity.

How does osteopathy help with bone health?

As osteopaths, we will discuss diet, hydration and the importance of weight bearing exercise and outdoor activities. We’ll also advise you on how to maintain good bone, muscle and joint health.

Osteopaths understand how the spine and limbs move and function so we will be able to advise on what exercises are appropriate for adults and children, how you can mobilise the spine and how to loosen the muscles in the back, neck, legs and arms to aid the recovery from injuries and also to prevent injuries from recurring.

No matter age you are, there is always something you can be doing to improve your bone health so don’t waste another day.

If you have any questions about any of the above, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Thanks for reading 🙂