Osteoporosis Prevention Through Chiropractic
THE OSTEOPOROSIS EPIDEMIC
Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for 28 million Americans, 80% of whom are women. Annual treatment costs for osteoporosis exceed $15 billion.
WHAT IS OSTEOPOROSIS
Osteoporosis is a condition that exists when the loss of bone over time has caused a dramatic weakening of the skeleton. Bones are more than just a framework over which the rest of the body is draped — they are living tissue, made from calcium, and are constantly changing.
Researchers have determined that when bone density falls below a certain point, the bones become extremely prone to fracture. This point of impending injury is called the fracture threshold. If the bone density,falls below the fracture threshold, the condition is called osteoporosis.
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF OSTEOPOROSIS
There are several factors that contribute to osteoporosis and the majority of osteoporotic cases are caused by multiple factors. There are essentially three areas that contribute to osteoporosis: abnormal biomechanical or structural stress, chemical stress, and neurological stress.
ABNORMAL BIOMECHANICAL / STRUCTURAL STRESS
The optimal spinal structure provides resistance to gravity and other external stress. Any loss of this ideal structure results in loss of resistance to gravity, resulting in spinal degeneration and conditions such as osteoporosis.
CHEMICAL STRESS
CORTICOSTEROIDS: Millions of people take corticosteroids for conditions such as asthma, arthritis, shoulder and back pain, lupus, and inflammatory diseases. Research clearly shows that their use is a contributing factor to osteoporosis.
MD’s UNDERESTIMATE THE RISKS OF OSTEOPOROSIS
One of the most dangerous side effects of corticosteroids is osteoporosis, yet a survey of the American College of Rheumatology shows that many physicians don’t realize it. The drugs are prescribed for people with diseases like lupus or arthritis, but the side effects can sometimes be worse than the disease. Although males and pre-menopausal women are generally considered to be at low risk for developing osteoporosis, long-term steroid use greatly increases their risk over time.
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF RHEUMATOLOGY
NERVOUS SYSTEM STRESS
The nervous system is the master control system of the body, controlling and coordinating every single bodily function.
An intact nervous system will lead to optimum functioning of the human body.
DORLAND’S MEDICAL TEXT
The nervous system controls the endocrine glands, which secrete hormones into the bloodstream to regulate body chemistry, including the process of bone remodeling.
“The key to stopping osteoporosis lies in balanced body chemistry and a delicate balance of minerals in order to maintain a calcium homeostasis in the blood.”
DR. NANCY APPLETON
The nervous system is vulnerable to interference at its protecting,structure — the spinal column. The spinal vertebrae are,susceptible to certain stresses and forces which can jar them from their proper position. These minor misalignments of the spine are called “vertebral subluxations.”
The presence of vertebral subluxations can often be detected by examination of a person’s posture. There is ample research which shows the relationship between poor posture and numerous health conditions such as osteoporosis.
POSTURE AND HEALTH
CHIROPRACTIC
Doctors of Chiropractic detect and correct vertebral subluxations by physically adjusting the spine. This restores the nervous system to an optimum level of function, which maximizes the body’s inherent healing ability.
“Chiropractic focuses on the anatomy of the spinal cord and the nerves that branch out from it. Even minor deviations of the spine caused by poor posture can impair the working of a nerve and the body part it supplies.”
MIRIAM STODDARD, MD
Chiropractic adjustments restore and maintain the proper structure of the spine. When the spinal column is brought into balance, normal function is restored, and structural degeneration is prevented
Osteoporosis is often called the “silent disease” because the weakening of the bones often occurs for years before any kind of symptoms may appear. Chiropractic is an excellent method of prevention and routine spinal exams are essential to a person’s neurological and skeletal health.
CONCLUSION
Chiropractic care is an excellent approach to preventing osteoporosis and other health conditions. Chiropractors are experts in spinal structure and body mechanics. Chiropractic adjustments are aimed at maintaining sound structure of the body by correcting spinal and postural distortions and preventing functional and structural health problems.