This Mother’s Day, Help Mom Fight Osteoporosis
May is National Osteoporosis Month. Osteoporosis is a disease in which your bones lose more calcium than they absorb. Most people develop this condition after turning 50, but the disease can strike you at an earlier age. Plus, women have a higher risk for osteoporosis than men, which is why it’s important to help protect your mom from this dangerous condition. So, today, we’ll review the effects of osteoporosis on your foot and ankle bones. Plus, we’ll highlight ways to prevent this dangerous disease!
Osteoporosis and Your Feet
Osteoporosis makes your bones weak and breakable. In fact, even stubbing your toe, or coughing too hard, could cause a fracture when you have osteoporosis. (But the most common fracture sites are your hip, wrist or spine.)
Still, with over 26 bones in your feet, your Westfield podiatrist needs to be part of your conversation about osteoporosis. In fact, because your feet have to deal with your full body weight, foot and ankle bones are at high risk for fracture with osteoporosis.
In addition to fractures, osteoporosis can leave you experiencing:
· Top of foot bone pain and tenderness.
· Red, swollen feet (which could actually be a sign of a small fracture).
Actually, podiatrists are often the ones to diagnose osteoporosis, since the disease can cause small fractures from something as simple as walking!
Preventing and Treating Osteoporosis
Luckily, there are effective ways to prevent osteoporosis and to slow its progress if you’ve already been diagnosed.
Some of the best ways to prevent osteoporosis include:
· Get lots of calcium in your teens, 20s and beyond. Your diet also must include vitamin D, to help your bones absorb that calcium.
· Steer clear of foods with too much sodium or phosphoric acid (sodas are a major source of this bad acid), because these items can interfere with your body’s ability to absorb calcium.
· Engage in strength training. When you add resistance or weights to your workouts, you increase bone density, which reduces your risk for weaker bones later in life.
· Quit smoking. Research shows that smoking ups your risk for bone loss and osteoporosis.
· Drink alcohol in moderation (for women, this is one drink a day at most). Too much alcohol can harm your bones.
· Check your levels. If you have a family history of bone loss, or if you’ve been through menopause, make sure bone density checks are part of your annual physical.
And remember, even if you have osteoporosis, medications can slow done your bone loss. They can also help prevent fractures and may even help you build new bone! Still, prevention and early detection are your best bet. So, if you have concerns about osteoporosis, come in to our office for a foot exam. During your appointment, Dr. David Sullivan can identify any warning signs and help you protect you (or your mom’s) feet!
Sources: Mayo Clinic