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Osteoporosis Diagnosis, Now What?

Sunday, July 31 2011

Moving Away from Fear
Unfortunately the most common reaction to a diagnosis of osteoporosis or
osteopenia is panic, fear and a rush to take a pill. This is partly due to
the strong insistence by most physicians in wanting their patients to start
medications "right away." This rush to medication is accompanied by phrases
such as "your spine is so bad it will break in half" or "you have the bones
of an 90 year old" which make it difficult to say no.

Lifestyle is King
It is important to know that osteoporosis or osteopenia are heavily
influenced by your lifestyle habits. Your exercise program, the foods you
choose to eat, the supplements that you take and your stress levels all
impact the health of your bones. Instead of rushing to medication, after
you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia, (you can take
medication any time along the way) I recommend considering three important
steps before doing anything else:

1. Start a Personal Health Journal
Documenting and organizing your current health and fitness habits is a
valuable tool not only for you but any other health or fitness professional
that reviews your case. It will first help you take stock of your current
lifestyle habits and then track various lifestyle changes along the way.
Journaling is an excellent way to begin stopping and reversing your bone
health problems. Your bones respond favorably to safe and effective
exercises, improved eating habits, better sleep patterns and stress
reduction activities. Osteoporosis medications (if you decide to take them)
work best with lifestyle changes so changing your lifestyle first makes
more sense.

2. Determine Your Real Risk for Fracture
After a diagnosis of osteoporosis or osteopenia, the most important fact
to know is "what is my risk of sustaining a fracture." Reducing your risk
of fractures is going to be your sole mission and much more important than
increasing bone density. So one of the most important pieces of information
to focus on is not your bone density scores but your FRAX percentages.
The FRAX Index calculates your risk of hip fracture. Bone density or BMD are
the numbers your doctor gave you after your DEXA scan. BMD is only ONE risk
factor of 12 that are important in determining your fracture risk. Go to
http://www.shef.ac.uk/FRAX/ for more information.

3. Create a Professional Bone Health Improvement Plan
So many times I see bone health programs that consist of an odd collection
of what people have read on the web or seen on television. These programs
are usually missing key components and have not been reviewed by a
knowledgeable professional or customized to meet individual needs. Having
good bone health program goes beyond just improving bone density. Your
bones respond to many different changes in your life. The foods you eat,
the water you drink, your sleep patterns and exercise activities can all
benefit your bone health.

I hope these 3 steps help take some of the mystery and fear out of your
osteoporosis or osteopenia diagnosis.

Woody

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Posted by: Woody McMahon AT 05:16 am | Permalink | 0 Comments | Email