Improvement in hip and spine

by Janet Ruckles
(Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA)

I am a 64 year old female with a history of osteoporosis for approximately 10 years. I was obese as a child and then lost a huge amount of weight in my 20's and 30's. A great deal of my bone loss can be contributed to poor diet habits. Therefore, my testimony has always been that when losing weight, one should never lose weight drastically and one should always eat plenty of calcium-rich foods and fresh fruits and vegetables.

In 2004 I had a DexaScan that indicated a lumbar T score of -2.5 and a hip T score of -2.6. I had a DexaScan in 2006 showing improvement in both hip and spine. In 2009 my DexaScan lumbar T score was -2.3 and my hip T score was -2.5. Even though this is showing a small improvement, I am managing improve my scores, even as I age. This has been a great encouragement to me and I hope it will be to anyone reading this.

As stated above, I try to eat a calcium-rich diet with plenty of vegetables and fruits. I take calcium citrate, large doses of vitamin D, and one small dose of vitamin K each day. I also take a B-complex tablet 2-3 times a day as a preventative against kidney stones (from all the calcium) and 1 Betaine Hydrochloride tablet 3 times a day to help my stomach absorb these vitamins.

I exercise at the gym three days a week, do back exercises to strengthen my back and, on alternate days, when I have time, walk at least 15 minutes. If you are interested in strengthening your back, a plain, well-written paperback book is 'No More Aching Back.' I am sorry, but I do not remember the author's name as I just gave my copy to a friend to read.

Be encouraged!

Jan, Colorado Springs