Subjects of Massive Confusion
Osteo Porosis, Osteo Arthritis and Osteo Kyphosis.
I was asked, what are the most confused topics that people ask me about? These are the ones. I think the problem is that they are all Osteo’s. Osteo is simply a term that means bone. So the following term describes the problem. Could be lots of problems with bones, right? Don’t be intimidated by the technical terminology. Let’s translate!
Porosis is simple. Full of holes. Sounds terrible, right? It is. This is loss of bone mass that can get so bad, bones simply fracture all by themselves. The most common fractures are spinal (resulting in a hunch) or hip (resulting in a fall). People take Calcium to prevent or fix this, but it’s not a problem in isolation. Look at the person. They are frail, weak, no muscle. They probably don’t exercise. If told they have osteoporosis, they are probably afraid to exercise. They may be terrified of a chiropractor, thinking that they might break, right on the adjusting table. What a shame. A chiropractor could be a huge help.
Osteoporosis is a residual of that ancient era (when I was a child) and girls didn’t exercise because they might develop muscles and look like a boy. Even then, I had never seen an athletic girl who looked like a boy. I thought athletics girls looked even better! I don’t think any modern, athletic person need fear Osteoporosis unless you have some bizarre genetic condition.
One of my surf buddies from wayback has some kind of “Idiopathic” Osteoporosis. Idiopathic means us idiot doctors don’t know what the problem is. He has surfed big Hawaii waves all his life and continues to. Some people just don’t give up!
I had a patient who seemed quite healthy. When I studied her X-Rays, I almost fell over. They looked like crystal, hardly any bone there! I was clueless and told her so. “Oh” she said “that must have been the war years, in Germany. We didn’t have anything to eat for quite some time”. Good gracious! She followed every recommendation I made. The next densitometry exam as interpreted by her MD “looked good” because she “wasn’t losing bone mass as fast”. Well, that sucks, and I said so. She ate properly, took the recommended supplements and continued with her exercise program and personal trainer at 24 Hr. Fitness. The next densitometry (12 months after starting care with me) it was the MDs turn to fall over. Her bone mass increased and continued to! She is resistant to retiring, does her own yard work, travels regularly and adores playing with her grandkids.
Eat all natural and don’t be afraid to get intense with your exercise program.
Arthritis is joint inflammation. Osteoarthritis typically results from some kind of Trauma that damages joint, ligament, muscle, tendon, causing the joint to function improperly. It takes years and decades but the joint dysfunction results in deterioration of the joint, nerve irritation and episodes of painful inflammation. This is why those Back or Neck Pains come and go, but never heal themselves or disappear.
Chiropractors are the experts at correcting joint dysfunction. You must see a Chiropractor immediately following the injury to get proper healing. Injuries allowed to heal incorrectly develop internal scarring, called fibrosis, resulting in a chronic problem. We can get the joint to function better, with less pain. We can slow deterioration, but we can’t reverse joint damage that has already happened. You can take calcium or aspirin or any drug or concoction you want, but it won’t correct a problem of mechanical origin. Taking any pain pill or “anti-inflammatory” is just ignoring the problem while it gets worse.
Kyphosis is a forward bend of the spine. The classic genetic kyphosis was the Hunchback of Notre Dame. We see a lot of modern hunchbacks. They are called Office Workers. They don’t follow proper ergonomics, the boss expects way too many hours from them, and they probably have a host of associated pains and problems such as carpal tunnel, elbow or shoulder pain, headaches, chest pain and problems with breathing; or any combination of these and maybe a few others. This kyphosis is a Postural Overuse Syndrome, completing preventable and correctable. Chiropractic correction works great for these people! Once they learn where the problem comes from, they correct the ergonomics, follow through on Spinal Correction and it is no longer a problem. Unfortunately, most workers (and their insurance companies) don’t understand the critical value of spinal correction. Many people arrive at retirement, permanently and irreversibly hunched with a whole host of associated health problems and disability.
Kyphosis leads to Osteoarthritis which is a top cause of Disability and those blue rear view mirror stickers. Postural aggravation of a hunch combined with Osteoporosis, more quickly results in spinal fractures. That increases the kyphosis, decreases body height, causes more pain and disability and predisposes to the next spinal fracture.
These Osteo’s are all different, but linked. The body works as a unit, and health is a Whole (that’s why it’s called Holistic). Health problems are also often grouped. Follow the basics, prevent a whole lot of health problems, and be active as long as God intended for you and your family.