Osteopenia treatments are effective. But not every treatment works well for every persons. Some persons use pharmaceutical drugs as the center piece of their bone building efforts. Others prefer to use some of the natural treatments that have been shown to be effective in building bone.
If you are reading this web site, you must be seeking information - which sorts of treatments will work for you. Good. We need to educate ourselves. This page offers you a list of major Osteoporosis and Osteopenia treatments. But first you need to understand. . .
Building bone takes time. It is a slow process. That is why health insurers will not pay for monthly or bi-monthly dexa scans . They know that building a significant (measurable) amount of bone will take at least a year. So if you want to build strong bones, you need to stick with your Osteopenia treatment plan.
These are:
So let us examine each.
Diet and Nutrition:
Diet/Nutrition - the food you eat each day. Osteoporosis and Osteopenia are almost unknown in some parts of the world. Some researches now believe that the widespread occurrence of Osteopenia in the developed world is related to both our modern diet and our sedentary life style.
Here are articles that should be useful:
Exercise to improve balance and to stimulate bone growth:
Research studies show that those who include exercise as part of their 'good bone' program have better outcomes than those who do not exercise on a regular basis.
There are two different forms of exercise that should be in every Osteopenia, Osteoporosis program: Balance exercises and Weight bearing exercises. Balance exercises are important because falls are the leading cause of fractures AND we lose 1% of our balance every year after age 35 - unless we practice balance exercises. OK. Figure it out. If you have NOT been doing balance exercises 3-4 days a week, what per cent of your balance have you lost? (1% every year after age 35).
You can remedy this. Just a few minutes a day will add to your balance. Read: balance exercises
Exercises that build bone
Studies that show weight bearing exercises increase bone mass even in the very old. Even if you have arthritis or some other painful condition, you can incorporate exercises into your daily routine.
But not every form of weight bearing exercise is good for those with bone loss. In fact, some forms of exercise can cause 'spontaneous fractures' and should be avoided by anyone with significant bone loss. Here are some safe bone building exercises .
Special forms of exercises:
1.Tai Chi has been shown to improve balance and increase bone density See: Tai Chi Exercises
2.Some people ask about yoga. Yoga can be useful; it can also be dangerous for those with Osteopenia or Osteoporosis.
3. Susie Hathaway who follows this web site has a special Osteopenia treatments exercise program.
Since our Osteoblasts (bone building cells) respond to new pressure or stress on your bones, weight vests and ankle weight as excellent ways to build bone.
There are many sorts of weight vests and ankle weights. Some are made for those weight lifters and those wanting to build muscle mass...fast. They have pockets that take 1 pound weights. You can buy them in most sports equipments stores.
But these weight vests are not the best for those of us wanting to build bone. Bone grows in response to NEW stresses/weights. If we are adding 1 pound weights, it is not long before we reach our 'safe limit'. (If weights get too heavy, we could be pulled to the floor if we bent over quickly. Very heavy weight vests can be a real danger.)
There is special kind of weight vest and ankle weight on the market....one that uses 1 ounce weights. (I know that is American weight system. Those who use grams for weights need to convert the numbers. The company that makes these Ostepenia treatment vests is in Texas, USA.)
I add that I have one of these special weight vests AND one of the ankle weights. I have found them useful - even suggested them to afriend.
Click to read about the weight vest and if you want to read about their ankle weights click on ankle weight for bone building.