Strong bones are essential for living an active lifestyle long into your golden years. We can work to improve the health of our bones by eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise, but not all bone diseases are completely preventable. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at some common bone diseases that can affect your spine, and we share some tips for preventing and treating these conditions.
Common Bone Conditions That Affect The Spine
Bone diseases can affect all parts of your body, but they may be more common in the spine region because of all the stress your spinal column handles on a regular basis, and because there are a lot of bones that work in unison in the spinal complex. Here’s a look at four bone diseases that can affect the stability of your spine.
- Osteoporosis – Osteoporosis is the most common bone disorder in the United States. Your body is constantly working to replace old, worn-out bone with new, healthy bone, and everything works just fine so long as your body is producing new bone faster than old bone is decaying. Osteoporosis begins to set in when bone decay outpaces new bone growth, leading to a weakening of the bone. These weaker porous bones can greatly increase your risk of a fracture. Regular exercise, eating a healthy diet full of calcium and Vitamin D, and maintaining a healthy weight can help to stave off osteoporosis.
- Osteoarthritis – Osteoarthritis is another incredibly common condition and it occurs when the healthy cartilage that acts as a natural barrier between your bones begins to wear out. This can lead to bone on bone contact and uncomfortable grinding during movement. Osteoarthritic movement can also increase your risk of bone spurs. These tiny bone overgrowths can irritate nearby nerves and cause discomfort or shooting pain. Osteoarthritis is not completely preventable, as everyone will experience some natural cartilage degeneration as they age, but diet, exercise and weight management can help to slow this natural progression.
- Paget’s Disease – Paget’s disease is another common bone disease, and like osteoporosis, it involves an issue with the bone replacement process. With this condition, the bone production significantly outpaces the bone decay, and this bone overgrowth can cause a number of issues in your spine. It can increase your risk of pinched nerves or spinal fractures, and in some cases can lead to bone cancer. There are no known ways to prevent the condition, but exercise and a healthy diet can help to develop strong bones and promote ideal bone health.
- Osteomalacia – Osteomalacia is a condition in which your bones do not receive enough Vitamin D from sunlight or our diets. This can lead to a softening of our bones, and they can even start to bend a little under the pressure of our weight. Cases of osteomalacia have significantly decreased now that standard milk products are fortified with Vitamin D, but it can still develop in older individuals who do not get enough essential nutrients. Untreated osteomalacia can increase your risk of spinal fractures and hip problems, so make sure that you are getting enough Vitamin D from the sun and in your diet.
All of these bone diseases can increase your risk of a spinal fracture, which can greatly affect your mobility and overall independence, so really work to do what you can to prevent or reduce your risk of these bone conditions. They aren’t completely preventable, but having healthy diet and exercise patterns can certainly help you avoid bone conditions and related back problems.
For more information about any of these bone conditions, or to talk to a specialist about a different spine issue that you’re dealing with, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.
