Dr. Richard Bailey, Chiropractor

Brookfield Health & Injury Center LLC and
Brookfield Center for Chiropractic & Wellness PC

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a debilitating disease in which bones become fragile and are more likely to break. In most cases, it can be prevented and treated but if steps are not taken, it progresses painlessly until a bone breaks.

Osteoporosis is a major health threat for an estimated 44 million Americans. In the United States today, 10 million individuals already have osteoporosis and 34 million more have low bone mass placing them at increased risk for developing this disease. Eighty percent of those affected by osteoporosis are women. The consequences of osteoporosis are devastating.

Each year in the United States this disease leads to 1.5 million more fractures, mostly of the hip, spine and wrist, although any bone can be affected. Low bone density can be identified, and appropriate steps can be taken before osteoporosis and fractures occur.

Are YOU at Risk?

Several factors can increase your chances of developing osteoporosis:

Gender - women are more likely to develop osteoporosis than men due to thinner, lighter bones and the decrease in estrogen production that occurs during menopause.
Age - the longer you live, the greater the likelihood of developing osteoporosis. Although all of us lose bone tissue as we age, the amount and rate of loss varies widely with each individual.
Family History - susceptibility to osteoporosis is due in part to heredity. If you have a fracture as an adult or a parent has had a fracture, you are more likely to have low bone mass than your peers.
Ethnicity - Caucasian and Asian women are at highest risk; African-American and Hispanic women are at lower but significant risk.
Body Size - low body weight (under 127 lbs) and a small-boned frame place you at increased risk.
Lifestyle - a diet low in calcium, inadequate vitamin D, little or no exercise, current cigarette smoking or excessive use of alcohol are all risk factors for this debilitating disease.

To request more information on lectures, screenings or workshops, please call us at (203)775-5555.

Reprinted from the National Osteoporosis Foundation at www.ahp-health.com/osteoporosis