BUILDING BONES

By Joseph Hazan,M.D., FACOG

Your bones are constantly undergoing

turnover. On the one hand some bone

content is being resorbed and on the

other hand more is being built.

Building bones is a normal function

that goes unnoticed.

There is normally a balance between

building and resorbing. When this balance

is upset there could be osteoporosis and

fractures.

If this happens in the vertebrae it causes

the back to be bent over or hump back.

During menopause approximately 35 %

of bone mass can be lost.

To determine this a Bone Mineral Density

(BMD) x-ray is done.

The results are analyzed and reported as

normal, osteopenia (low density)

or osteoporosis (critically low).

Regular physical activity, Vitamin D3

and Calcium intake, and if needed

medical treatment will help

protect your bones.

It is important to avoid smoking,

alcohol, caffeine and steroids.