It used to be that osteoporosis was considered a disease that affected only the elderly. We particularly associated osteoporosis with older women whose backs were slightly hunched over or those who could no longer stand up straight. Today, the truth is that an estimated 20 million American women suffer from osteoporosis, and 80 percent of them don't even know it.

Osteoporosis is a chronic, progressive condition that steals bone from the body, leading to fractures of the hip, spine and wrist. Older people can suffer disability and even death from osteoporosis-related fractures. Alarmingly, one in two women and one in eight men will suffer from an osteoporosis-related fracture in his or her lifetime.

Many people confuse osteoporosis with arthritis, and wait for swollen joints and discomfort before being tested. Even though osteoporosis is painless until a bone fracture occurs, it is important to find out how healthy your bones are now and if need be, adjust your lifestyle to avoid this brittle bone disease. The American Chiropractic Association recommends the following tips to maintain healthy bones:

• Start a regular exercise program. Walking, skipping rope, jogging, playing racquet sports, swimming and aerobics are all helpful in reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Exercising for 20 minutes, three times a week, is helpful.
  
• Although weight lifting exercises are generally recommended, the National Osteoporosis Foundation says those suffering from osteoporosis should consult their health care practitioner before beginning a weight lifting program because excessive strain on the bones could result.
  
• Those with severe osteoporosis and who have suffered from fractures may find Tai Chi, a form of martial arts, to be a beneficial strength training exercise system.
  
• People suffering from osteoporosis should be careful when bending and lifting heavy objects, including grandchildren. Bend from the knees, not the waist, when lifting, and try to avoid hunching while sitting or standing.
  
• Be sure to include calcium in your daily diet. The National Institutes of Health's recommendations are 1,000 mg/day for post-menopausal women taking estrogen; 1,500 mg/day for postmenopausal women not taking estrogen, and 1,500 mg/day for men and women over 65 years of age.
  
• If you are looking for a calcium supplement, try one that's highly absorbable, such as microcrystalline hydroxyapatite concentrate (MCHC), or one of the malates, fumarates, succinates, glutarates, or citrates. But don't overdo it. Taking more than the recommended amount of calcium may cause kidney stones.
  
• Consider taking additional nutritional supplements, such as vitamin D, C, magnesium, zinc and silica after consulting with your doctor of chiropractic.
  
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet, including fresh vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds. Try broccoli, kale, collard greens, cabbage and turnip greens. Experiment with tofu, salmon, sardines and grains. Low-fat milk and/or yogurt are good sources of calcium. (A glass of low-fat milk and a cup of yogurt add 600 mg of calcium to your daily diet.)
  
• Drink 8 eight-ounce glasses of water a day (herb teas, juices and coffee are not a substitute for water.) Avoid caffeine, carbonated sodas, alcohol, baked goods and junk food.
  
• Watch your animal protein intake.

Chiropractic Care Can Help...

15,000,000 Americans are victims of recurring headaches that strike without warning… striking hard and fast … and over and over.

            These chronic sufferers spend $300 million dollars each year for remedies that give only temporary relief.  The tension headache and the migraine headaches are the two major types of chronic headaches of which the migraine is most common. Also called vascular headache, migraine syndrome, or sick headaches. 

            The migraines most notable feature is that pain usually starts on one side the head, possibly spreading to the entire head as pain develops.  Nausea, irritability and sensitiveness to bright light, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea, are other symptoms of the migraine syndrome.  Some victims experience the throbbing migraine pain anywhere in the head (including the face and neck), but usually the migraine headache is felt as a severe, throbbing pain in the temples.

            The pre-headaches phenomena is probably the most frightening aspect of the migraine headache.  The sufferer soon learns when an attack is on it way and are terrified of it striking.  The second phase is the pre-headache phenomena consist of spots before the eyes, dimming vision which affects 50% of the visual field.  Some symptoms of the migraine equivalents which include varied abdominal pains, chest pains, and pain in the arms and legs.  Other symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, fever, swelling in various parts of the body and rapid mood changes. 

            The long range effects shown in a study of migraine headaches indicate a general disintegration of the victim’s personality. 

What Should be Done?

Don’t wait consult a Chiropractor, me.  For the past 65 years migraine victims have been helped by chiropractors.  Researchers in the chiropractic field have developed special nerve tests to determine the precise point in the neck at which the arteries and nerves are being blocked.  X-ray machines, particularly adapted to take unique X-ray views that will pin point the location of the misalignment.  It has been proven conclusively by thousands of X-rays that the migraine headache develops when one or more of the tiny neck bones are misaligned or forced out of normal position.

 Warning Signs:

Headache, Neck Stiffness or Pain, Pain Between or Around Shoulders, Lower Back Pain, Ache, Stiffness, Numbness in Arms or Legs, Stiff Wrists, and Stiff Joints

     The warning signal listed above are some of the more common signals calling for a Chiropractic evaluation, interpretation, and care.  Other warning signals indicating health problems of a Chiropractic nature include irritability, nervousness, and sleeplessness.

     And there are others called paresthesia -- usually described as feeling like pins and needles, but may show up as hot or cold spots, stinging, burning, crawling or electric-shock sensations and the like.

     Actually, the body sends an unending stream of totally selfish, urgent messages telling how it feels and what might be done to bring it contentment and happiness--at least for the moment.

     Most of those messages are rather commonplace and need no professional interpretation.  Typical requests for "creature comfort" attention:  I'm too cold -- I'm to hungry -- I'm sleepy -- and dozens of other daily demands which often must be filled on a moments notice.

     Mixed in with the ceaseless bodily demands for attention are the body's warning signs of developing illness, disease, and structural problems.  Most warning signals call for a professional examination and diagnosis of what's causing the warning alarm to sound and what to do about it.  If you are getting these recurring warning signals, your body is undoubtedly calling for professional help in evaluating the situation.

     In such warning signal cases, a Chiropractic examination is indicated without delay.  The worst response you can make to your body's cry for help is to ignore the warning or put it off for another day.