Approximately ten million Americans have osteoporosis, and another forty-four million have low bone density.

It is a primary public concern for women who are fifty or older. It is less prevalent in men, about five percent in those fifty and older. It is the most common bone disease caused by the weakening of bone structure and strength.

It is often located at the femur neck, lumbar spine, or both. It causes the bones to become weak and brittle; sometimes, people may be unaware that they have it until they fall. Fractures can also occur in the hip and wrist.

Bone is a living tissue that is continually being replaced, and osteoporosis occurs when the replacement of new bone is not able to keep up with the loss of old bone.

When we are young, our bodies make new bone faster than it decreases. Most people reach their peak bone mass by age thirty. It can affect men and women of all ages and races, but the primary population at risk are white and Asian women past menopause.

The chance of developing osteoporosis is influenced by how much bone mass was attained in youth, with genetics and race also being a factor. The higher your obtained peak mass during youth offers a better foundation for bone strength as you age.

A small body frame puts an individual at greater risk because there is less reserve of bone mass as we age. Dietary factors can also have an influence on bone loss, which include low calcium intake, restricting food intake with the avoidance of a balanced diet, and being underweight.

Lifestyle choices can also increase the risk factors for osteoporosis, which includes a sedentary lifestyle, tobacco use, and excessive alcohol consumption.

Typically, there are not any symptoms in the early stages of bone loss, but once the bones become weakened, back pain can occur from a fractured or collapsed vertebra, loss of height and stooped posture.

It is also a bone condition commonly known as the term “hunchback.”

The medical term for “hunchback” is Kyphosis. Kyphosis is a forward rounding of the back and becomes exaggerated as the shoulders and back begin to round forward. The result of the rounding is a weakness in the spinal bones.

There are three types of Kyphosis: congenital (at birth), postural (beginning in childhood), and Scheuermann’s (when the spinal bones grow in an abnormal wedged fashion).

Good nutrition and regular exercise are essential for healthy bones in all stages of life.

Men and women between the ages of eighteen and fifty need one thousand milligrams of calcium per day and should increase to an intake of approximately twelve hundred milligrams per day when women turn fifty, and men turn seventy.

Good sources of calcium include low-fat dairy products, dark green leafy vegetables, canned salmon, soy products, and orange juice. Calcium supplements can also be an additive to your diet; however, too much calcium intake may increase the risk of heart disease.

Vitamin D is also beneficial to the body’s ability to absorb calcium and improves bone health in many ways, with sunshine being a source, as well as many types of milk and cereal fortified with vitamin D.

Exercise is good for your bones, especially weight-bearing exercises. The combination of strength training in conjunction with balance exercises helps to strengthen the muscles and bones in your legs, core, upper body, and spine. Other exercises include walking and stair climbing.

If you feel that you may be at risk, it is advisable to meet with your physician for treatment, medication, supplements and exercise.

Live, love, life, and movement.