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Osteopenia, Osteoporosis November 2019 News
November 06, 2019
Dear Subscriber to Osteopenia news,

November 2019 Osteopenia/Osteoporosis News

Yes, it has been awhile. But I have been thinking of you these last weeks and I do want to send out this issue before another month is over. .

November...for readers in the Southern Hemisphere you are coming into warmer weather and longer days, while those in the North are headed into cold, sleet, snow and ice..

I usually try to write about topics that apply to all readers. But this month, I want to veer from that habit and write about ice and packed snow. It is so important to those of us with Osteopenia or Osteoporosis..

Icy streets, sidewalks and stairs are particularly dangerous for those of us with bone loss. Why? Because our bones are less strong and ANY fall often means a broken bone. Ice, especially the kind that is almost invisible - forming only a sheen on sidewalk is dangerous. A fall, when your bones are thin or porous often results in a fracture. It does not even have to be a 'hard fall'. I broke my wrist when my foot slipped on a sheen of ice and I shattered an elbow when I tried to navigate the drive way. Neither were 'hard falls' and if my bone density was greater, I would have had nothing more than a bruise..

If you have Osteopenia or Osteoporosis, winter is the most dangerous season. I'd like to urge you to plan ahead..

First, get a pair of 'sensible' shoes...most athletic shoe departments now sell 'walking shoes'. (Walking shoes are my choice rather than running shoes which are often lighter and less stolid.) When you are buying be sure that neither the heel or sole are leather (which slides easily on ice). Ifyou explain to the sales person that you are looking for something you will wear walking outside in winter, s/he ought to bring you some appropriate samples. Yes, you will pay 'walking shoe' prices but it is well worth the investment. Most pairs will last more than one season..

Second, get a pair of 'slip on ice cleats'. You local sports store probably carries them. If not, there are many available online. .

A pair of ice cleats may be the best winter purchase for under $10 that you will ever make. They are easy to put on and to take off. Keep a pair near the door you use most often in winter....even for short trips like taking out the garbage. And if you go from house to indoor garage, keep a pair in your glove compartment so you can put them on when you reach your destination. (Yes, it might make sense to buy 2 pair - one stored at home and another pair in your car.) The key is to USE them. .

Goodness, I sound like my mother trying to give advice when I was a teen. Sorry. I do not mean to nag. It is just that I worry. Most people with Osteopenia or Osteoporosis will fracture a bone if they fall. .

Fractures are painful and recover takes weeks. Some require surgery, hospitalization as well as physical therapy and a long recovery. Some fractures leave residual aches and as you know, a broken hip for an older person often means death within a year - no one seems to understand why this happens but the statistics show it is true..

A pair of 'sensible shoes' and ice cleats are a small price to pay for keeping your bones intact this winter. Please, please take care.

Kate

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