LifeCare Chiropractic

The Best Chiropractic Care in Mesa, Arizona

bone density

HABITUAL TEA DRINKERS HAVE INCREASED BONE DENSITY – (05-16-02)

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Increased Bone Density in Habitual Tea Drinkers

We’ve seen this title before. This is one of the examples I cite on how Mother Nature’s wisdom is better than our own, and how synergisms that we don’t even comprehend are at work. Tea contains tannic acid and phytic acid–two substances known to chelate with certain minerals and avoid their absorption. Calcium is one of these. So, looking at tea with blinders on, we may erroneously conclude that certain compounds in tea would lead to poor bone health. Research shows quite the opposite. I believe Mother Nature put in other compounds to counteract the chelating effects of the tannins and phytates.

Epidemiological Evidence of Increased Bone Mineral Density in Habitual Tea Drinkers.

Read entire article here

BONE QUALITY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN BONE DENSITY – (12-15-04)

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BONE FRAGILITY AND COLLAGEN CROSS-LINKS

So much attention over the years has been focused on purely bone density without any thought to the quality of the bone present.

This research has started to surface, and it’s not very pretty. The fragility (and therefore the quality) of the bone is a very important factor in whether or not a bone is going to fracture. The quality of a bone is much more than just stopping the bone’s breakdown (via biphosphonate therapy like Fosamax) and needs to involve a wide spectrum approach including more of a plant-based/alkaline diet, high quality calcium as well as the numberable micronutrients needed for health bone. This also lends much credance to check the urine for the breakdown products of bone–a urine test that has been commercially available for many years now.

Read entire article here

BENEFITS OF INTENSE EXERCISE ON BONE DENSITY AND PHYSICAL FITNESS – (07-16-04)

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Benefits of 2 Years of Intense Exercise on Bone Density, Physical Fitness, and Blood Lipids in Early Postmenopausal Osteopenic Women

While this study does kind of fall into the “how much did we pay for this??” category, the numbers found are interesting. And considering that in the last Updates, there was an article about biphosphonates NOT fixing microtrauma damage (the repair of which would occur in this current study and produce, in my opinion, a stronger bone), the percentage increase in bone density was pretty substantial. The increases in other indexes of health (muscle strength, triglycerides…) were also pretty impressive. Arch Intern Med — Abstracts: Kemmler et al. 164 (10): 1084 –

read entire article here

BALANCE PROBLEMS–WANT YOUR LIFE BACK??

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BALANCE PROBLEMS–WANT YOUR LIFE BACK??  Our office has had a whole body vibration device for several years now, and the response for specific conditions has been very good.  Bone density, balance, knee strengthening, leg circulation.  The less active someone is, the better the response.  The unit we have is one of the few sonic units in the Valley which is a safer and more comfortable unit.

In this particular study, the researchers looked at balance in patients with fibromyalgia and found that, in 12 wks, they improved their balance by 36% from a very simple and safe intervention.  More balance can mean a greater chance to exercise and further improve balance.  There have also been numerous studies on balance in seniors and the results have all been just as impressive.

7 WAYS THE DIABETIC SPECTRUM DESTROYS YOUR BODY

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It is not uncommon to hear a diabetic who really doesn’t understand the gravity of their condition mentioned something about eating the cake, but just upping their insulin dose to compensate.  Let me state this so there is no mistake.

There is NO physiological state that is more devastating in every way to the human body than the diabetic spectrum.  Notice that I did not say just diabetes, but rather the spectrum that includes the progression to diabetes as well as life after the diabetic diagnosis.  This definition encompasses arguably 2/3 of the population of the United States.  While these numbers should make pharmaceutical manufacturers salivate, to the rest of us it should once again ring that wake up bell.

This list of conditions that the diabetes spectrum contributes to reads like a Who’s Who of chronic disease:

  1. Multiple types of nerve pain (diabetic neuropathy)
  2. Many types of cancers, including pancreatic
  3. Infertility
  4. Erectile dysfunction (seriously–do we NEED a better reason to take care of ourselves?)
  5. Sleep apnea
  6. Fatty liver
  7. Kidney stones

Ok.  So the list can go on and on.  But before we end the list, we need to add this particular study to the group.  Researchers looked at diabetes and how it affected bone density and the risk of fractures of the head of the femur (hip).  The results should make us take notice.

The presence of diabetes and prediabetes actually INCREASED bone density.  However, consistent with the fact that bone density does not always equal lower fracture risk, despite the higher bone density the bones were weaker and more likely to fracture.

The bottom line is, if you are diabetic, merely relying on bone density testing rather than lifestyle to support bone health, will likely leave you with a false sense of security.

LOW BONE DENSITY? THIS MAY BE WHY..

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This is not the first time I’ve addressed bone health and I’m pretty certain it won’t be the last.  I’m just not sure why my message hasn’t yet changed public policy as it relates to bone health..  Here’s a little secret.

Bone health has virtually nothing to do with calcium.  Sure, calcium is a component of bone, but so is silica, molybdenum and phosphorus (among many others).  More importantly is the signals that our body sends to add or destroy bone.  Our understand has moved from bone merely being an inactive calcium depot to bone being a very active and important player in our risk for diabetes and body composition.

So the recommendations for bone health are not isolated to a single nutrient or single change such as weight bearing exercise.  Bone is merely reflective of our overall health.  Better health = better bones.

This is exemplified by this particular study.  Researchers looked at dietary patterns and how they related to bone health.  A clear pattern existed with those with the worst dietary patterns (high consumption of refined cereals, soft drinks, fried potatoes, sausages and processed meat, vegetable oils, beer, and takeaway foods and low consumption of other vegetables, vegetable dishes, tea, coffee, fruit, wholegrain breads, and breakfast cereals) clearly had lower bone density than those with the better habits (high consumption of legumes, seafood, seeds, nuts, wine, rice and rice dishes, other vegetables, and vegetable dishes and low consumption of bacon and ham).

Pretty basic and clear cut.  Think on this scary thought.  How many teens are sitting on their collective duffs not exercising (bad for bone) eating the poor dietary pattern noted above.  This is an absolute recipe for disastrous bone health very early on.

Read more…

 

PAST 25 YEARS OLD? HAVE YOU HAD YOUR BONE DENSITY CHECKED YET?

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For several years now our office has used an in-house DXA scan for bone density of the wrist.  We strongly promote anyone over 25 to have their bone density checked.  Much like everything else in this country, we wait until the crisis stage (post menopausal female) to check bone density because this is when we can begin to medicate.  However, the problem begins much, much sooner.

The past decade has brought some pretty amazing insights into just how interactive our bone tissue is.  We used to think of it as some inert tissue that our muscles and ligaments attached to in order to facilitate movement.  We now know that bone plays an integral role in the immune system, in maintaining ideal body weight and in keeping diabetes at bay.  Likewise, many other organ systems in the body play a role in bone health.

That means that bone can be a strong reflection of our overall health.  That means that checking it early as yet another indicator of how healthy we are is important and yet underrated in medicine today.

It is a little frightening when we run bone density testing events and 1/2 to 2/3 of the patients we test under 45 have 3, 5, 10 or even 15% less bone density than they should have for their age.  This means that osteoporosis will be certain decades later when the “guidelines” suggest this patient should have been screened. 

A low score indicates that something is off with our health and we need to fix that.  Vitamin D, exercise, an anti-diabetic lifestyle, gastrointestinal issues, stress…  The list is quite long for what can negatively affect bone.

The bottom line?  Get tested early.  Don’t wait until you’re 55 or 60 whether you’re a male of female.  The information could be lifesaving.

http://www.jci.org/articles/view/46262