Osteoporosis and 10 interesting facts about your bones.

The human skeleton is pretty amazing – you begin life with 270 bones. Whilst in the womb, your mother loses 5% of her bone content all of which goes to you. The total number of bones in your body actually decreases to 206 as some bones fuse together and by the age of 35 your skeleton reaches maximum density. Below are some interesting facts about bones and osteoporosis.

10 facts about your bones and osteoporosis:

1. Your bones are a living, growing entity – a flexible and strong body organ. Just like skin you are constantly losing and forming new bone.
2. Osteoporosis occurs when you lose too much bone, make too little of it or both. This can be the result of hormonal changes or a deficiency in Vitamin D or Calcium.
3. In both men and women, bone loss tends to be greater than bone formation after mid-life.
4. Osteoporosis and the broken bones it causes can be prevented, by making sure you have a nutritious diet and adequate calcium & vitamin D intake.
5. About 50% of all women and up to 25% of men over the age of 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis.
6. Some diseases and medicines can actually cause bone loss.
7. Women lose up to 20% of their bone density in the five-to-seven years around the time of their menopause.
8. People with osteoporosis have no symptoms and cannot feel bones getting weaker, and many people do not know they have osteoporosis until they break a bone.
9. You need to get enough calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients every day to keep your bones healthy. If you are lactose intolerant, it is difficult to get enough calcium from foods alone.
10. You need to exercise at least 2½ hours every week for strong bones.

If you have osteoporosis then physiotherapy can help strengthen your bones as well as your muscles. It can prevent bones thinning, reduce falls and help manage any pain. If you have osteoporosis and need help or advice, give us a call on 01530 588 557 to see how we can help.

06 Aug 2018

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