World Osteoporosis Day takes place on October 20th each year. It’s an opportunity to promote awareness about osteoporosis and encourage people to be proactive about the degenerative disease. One of the best things that you can do to prevent osteoporosis is maintain good bone health throughout your life. People don’t always consider PEMF therapy for bone health, but it’s a safe and effective way to help strengthen your bones.
What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a condition associated with low bone mass, or weak and brittle bones. Since people with osteoporosis have lower bone density, they are more likely to suffer bone fractures. It’s a chronic condition, meaning that it gets worse over time.
Osteoporosis means “porous bone”. Dense bones are more solid and compact than bones with low bone mass. Bones affected by osteoporosis have gaps and chambers in their framework that resemble a porous sponge.
According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 54 million Americans have low bone density, which means that they’re at an increased risk for osteoporosis.
The dangers of osteoporosis
Osteoporosis ranges in severity. It can cause discomfort, or it can increase the risk of mortality. The disease can end a person’s ability to care for themselves and cause permanent disability. In extreme cases of osteoporosis something as small as a sneeze or a bump can cause bone fractures.
According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, 70% of people with osteoporosis are diagnosed. This is why it’s known as the silent disease. One of the dangers of osteoporosis is that it often takes an injury or bone fracture for someone to someone with osteoporosis to realize that they have it.
You want to detect chronic diseases, such as osteoporosis, as early as possible. This helps slow the progression of the disease, and it’s easier to treat diseases in their early stages.
What can you do about osteoporosis?
Bone density peaks around age 30. This is why your parents stressed the importance of calcium and vitamin D when you were a child. You have a narrow window – from birth through adolescence – to strengthen your bones. After your bones reach peak bone mass, you must work on maintaining and preserving bones density because you can no longer increase it.
You can’t go back in time and tell your younger self to drink your milk, but there are ways to combat osteoporosis.
- Know the warning signs of osteoporosis. Sudden back pain, a stooped back – or changes in posture – and height loss are early indications of low bone mass.
- Being physically active is key in promoting strong bones and good bone health. Strength training, stretching, and body weight exercises help increase bone density.
- Calcium intake has a direct correlation with bone mass. People with higher calcium intakes have denser bones. Vitamin D is important because it helps the bones absorb calcium.
- Drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco have been shown to weaken bones.
Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy can also improve bone health.
PEMF therapy for bone health
An easy way to help strengthen bones is pulsed electromagnetic field therapy. Anyone who is at risk for musculoskeletal problems should consider PEMF for bone health. PEMF therapy has been shown to help treat symptoms of osteoarthritis and it’s been approved by the FDA to help treat bone fractures. Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy is also an effective treatment for pain management.
PEMF therapy is non-invasive, safe, and effective. Unlike pharmaceutical drugs, there are no side effects with PEMF. Contact PEMF Complete for more information about the health benefits of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy.