As with the rest of our
physical selves, we don't think about our bones until something goes wrong.
Bones are just there, under the surface and unseen, normally never taking up
space in our conscious thought processes. Trauma, of course, can injure a bone.
But in most circumstances a bone bruise or a fracture heals on its own in due
course. You might need a brace, sling, or cast to protect the bone while it's
rebuilding, but within four to six weeks everything is back to normal.
On the other hand, many actual
diseases can affect bones for a very long time, perhaps even for the rest of
your lifetime. Some of these serious conditions are preventable. Some are not.
Osteoporosis is a disorder which may have serious consequences, including
disabling hip fractures and crippling fractures of the lumbar vertebras. For
many people, however, osteoporosis is preventable, and it's very important to
know how to do that.
Osteoporosis involves loss of
bone substance and disorganization of bone structure. "Osteo" means
bone and "porosis" means pores or passages. In osteoporosis the
biochemical bony matrix is broken down and bony tissue itself is resorbed,
creating "passageways" or holes in the affected bone. Metabolic
factors involved in the process of osteoporosis include calcium levels and
vitamin D levels, as well as the activity of bone cells - osteoblasts - which
produce bone matrix.
As with everything else in the
human body, if you don't use it, you'll lose it. Bone appears to be hard and
durable, a finished product, but in fact bone tissue is highly dynamic. Bone is
continually being built up in response to physiologic, weight-bearing stresses
such as exercise. But bone is continually being broken down in response to
metabolic needs elsewhere in the body. A dynamic tension exists between these
two processes, and in osteoporosis the pendulum has swung to the side of
breaking down bone tissue. The obvious consequences include weakening of bone's
structural strength. Eventually, long bones such as the thigh bone or
strategically located bones such as the lumbar vertebra have lost so much
structural integrity that they break under pressure of previously normal
weight-bearing loads.
Like the rest of the
components of our bodies, our bones are a precious natural resource. Unlike gas
or coal, our bones are a renewable resource. But we must pay attention to the
need for these structures to renew themselves. If a bone isn't being used
efficiently, higher-priority metabolic needs in other locations will cause
important biochemical's to be taken out of the bone. The bone, such a thigh
bone, will begin to lose its structure. The appropriate question is how can we
ensure that our bones are being used efficiently. How can we ensure that our
bones are in fact dynamic structures, rather than merely cages to protect our
vital organs or coat racks on which to hang our muscles.
At Chiropractic USA we care about your bones and spinal health
and wellness. Call our office today to get your spinal check up! Learn more
about us at www.chiropractic-usa.com
Sources:
Sundell
J: Resistance training is an effective tool against metabolic and frailty
syndromes. Adv Prev Med Epub Dec 13, 2010 doi:10.4061/2011/984683
Bababtunde
OO, et al: A meta-analysis of brief high-impact exercises for enhancing bone
health in premenopausal women. Osteoporos Int Sept 28 2011 (Epub ahead of
print) PMID: 21953474
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