5 Ways to Reduce Your Risk for Osteoporosis
You hear health professionals reminding you your whole life to get enough calcium, but do you know why? It’s because calcium is essential for your bones, which are an incredibly important part of your body. Without that skeleton, you’d just be a pile of skin and muscle! Doctors want you to have healthy bones, and they want you to avoid a disease called osteoporosis.
What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a disease that typically affects people in their golden years. It causes your bones to lose more calcium than they can absorb. This loss can significantly increase your chances of sustaining a fracture. The good news is that there are steps you can take to prevent osteoporosis. If you already have it, there are also ways to slow down its progression and slow bone loss in its tracks.
How does osteoporosis affect the feet?
About a quarter of your body’s bones are in your feet. That means that if you develop osteoporosis, it is likely to affect your feet and ankles. Since you put the entire weight of your body upon your lower extremities, your feet and ankles are some of the first to experience injuries, fractures, and bone pain if you do have osteoporosis. That’s why it is so important to prevent this disease from taking hold on your bones!
How can I prevent osteoporosis?
These are just a few ways that you can help prevent osteoporosis and keep your bones and entire body fit and functioning!
Eat right. We hear about calcium often, but your body also needs vitamin D to absorb that calcium into your bones. Dairy, leafy greens, and some nuts have lots of calcium. Sometimes dairy alternatives, like oat, almond, or soy milk actually have more calcium than cow’s milk. Foods like fizzy sodas with phosphoric acid and high-sodium snacks can actually have a negative effect on calcium absorption.
Exercise regularly! Exercising - especially with weights or resistance bands - help make your bones more dense, which helps reduce the risk of brittle, weak bones.
Stop smoking. If you’re a smoker, right now is the right time to quit! Smoking has been proven to increase your chance of getting osteoporosis.
Get assessed if it runs in your family. If you have a family history of osteoporosis, make sure you tell your doctor. This is especially important for women nearing menopause as hormone changes can cause calcium loss.
Start young. Developing healthy eating and exercise habits at a young age will ensure your body is strong well into the future.
Contact us!
If you have osteoporosis, or if you’re predisposed to it through family history, give Precision Foot and Ankle Centers a call to chat! Our dedicated foot doctors, Dr. Eric Feit, Dr. Alona Kashanian, and Dr. Roohbakhsh Maher, and here to provide further advice and come up with an individualized treatment plan to ease your pain and decrease your risks of developing osteoporosis. Schedule an appointment today by contacting any of our offices in Los Angeles, Torrance, and San Pedro.