Women’s health Part 2: Osteoporosis- treatment other than taking medication
Women are more likely to develop osteoporosis (thin bones, or weak bones) In comparison to man. The reason for that is that men produce more testosterone than women and so this makes bones stronger. Men are also more likely to do weight training or resistance training type exercises such as lifting and pulling and this action also stimulates the bone to become stronger.
So what can you do to make your bones stronger other than taking the medications called bisphosphonates, calcium and vitamin D?
Well, some women may already be taking hormone replacement therapy or HRT which includes oestrogen and in some cases testosterone. This will increase bone density and maintain bone strength as a woman gets older. But what else can you do?
Well I've already alluded it to": people who do weight training or resistance training or even gardening ( lifting pots and soil) or farming, will stimulate the bones to become stronger.
As you pull or push an object, the tendons also pull on your bone, and at the same time stimulates your osteoblasts ( he cells that tmake new bone) to make more bone.
So with this knowledge, all women, and of course men should be following the national guidelines for exercise, which is not just about walking or running or swimming. The number one thing you should be doing at this moment is two weight training sessions per week.
Yes, you heard it I've said it so many times over the last 5 to 10 years. We need to be lifting weights for our general health.
As you and I age, one of the things that can really affect our health is if we have a fall and break a bone this itself increases our risk of other conditions, such as a Blood clots, depression, and another fall within 12 months.
So, if you can get out into your garden and start lifting pots and clearing the leaves during this beautiful autumn maybe even plant some flowers.
But you get what I'm saying get out there, tidy up, lift some weights and if you can't do that do an exercise class on YouTube- there are so many free classes. You can have a laugh too if you join a class!
And if you really can't find anything I have a video on our website of me doing a weight training session using your own body weight. I myself am currently just doing some weights at home using 5 kg weights while I do lunges using my body weight. I also do some press ups and squats along with the lunges I mentioned, and then I do bicep curls with the 5 kg weights. I could do with a heavier weight but we don't have much room at the moment.
Improving your strength of your muscles will improve your balance also, and it also increases your happy hormones and improves your mood as a result. Although it doesn't lower blood pressure a lot in comparison to going for a walk for an hour. It does have some impaCT.
So weight training is the key, along with that comes ensuring that your diet is rich in calcium and you're getting enough vitamin D3, which you can only really get from sunshine, which we really don't have enough of here in the UK.
You can also get a little bit of vitamin D from some fish and eggs, but we all have to take a supplement and that's not just me saying it, the National Guidelines for Clinical Excellence will tell you the same.
However, I would add to that that you need to have your vitamin D level checked every year to ensure you are taking enough of the vitamin D supplement. There's plenty of evidence out there now starting in France over 30 years ago, showing that good levels of vitamin D improve your balance and muscle strength and also affects your immune system functions by improving T cell function. Some people generally feel much better when their vitamin D levels are normalised also.
Also some people do not absorb or metabolise vitamin D easily so you may need ahigher dose then teh recommended 1000 iu daily; the only way to know is check you blood level annually.
There are other medications other than bisphosphonates and calcium and vitamin di for strengthening bones. I mentioned HRT for women, but there are others and these would be prescribed by a specialist in osteoporosis.
A simple DEXA scan which only takes 5 to 10 minutes to do can tell you how strong your bones are. If you've ever had a fracture which didn't involve trauma but was a very simple fracture where you were shocked to find out you had broken a bone then you need to have a DEXA scan.
Some people have a family history of osteoporosis and it may be genetic so if that's your case, make sure and have a check up with your doctor to see if you need a DEXA scan.
If you smoke you're more likely to have thin bones, if you don't eat enough food for the amount of exercise or energy you put out, then your bones will become low in nutrients and thin. This is known as the female triad, and is often seen in athletes and gymnasts, where the woman is not taking on enough nutrients, so the body has to suck all the nutrients out of the bones and then the bones become weak and the person fractures a bone at the same time. You may also notice that your periods stop or become much lighter.
So skeletal health is really important. It's something we don't talk about enough until somebody is in their 50s or 60s and has fractured a bone and goes on to fracture another bone.
In your teenage years when you first get your period this is a really important time to ensure that your daughter or you are taking enough nutrients to keep your bones strong, particularly in young athletes- diet is often overlooked as is vitamin D supplementation which needs to be adequate as I mentioned above.
Flexibility is also important as we age and so exercise is just what is called for; we all need to exercise. We all need to reduce the time we spend sitting in front of the desk and get outside!
Happy exercising!