As we get older, our bodies slowly start to degenerate. It’s a natural part of life, but that doesn’t mean you should welcome it with open arms. We can’t completely stop spinal bone loss from happening, but if you’re smart about your lifestyle, you can certainly slow down the process, which will keep you healthy long into your golden years. Below, we explain some of the ways you can work to prevent spinal bone loss.
Slowing Down Spinal Bone Loss
Your body is constantly producing new bone tissue, but once you get above the age of 30, the rate at which bone is produced falls behind the pace at which it degenerates. Over the decades, this can contribute to significant bone loss and the eventual onset of spinal osteoporosis, a condition that puts your back at a heightened risk for fractures. So while degeneration is a natural process, there are some things we do that speed up and slow down this process. Here’s what to do and what to avoid if you want to prevent spinal bone loss as best you can as you age.
- Exercise – Exercise is key to preventing spinal bone loss. It helps to push healthy blood throughout our body and promote healthy bone development. It also helps to keep supportive spinal structures strong, which will help to stabilize your spine when bones loss does eventually occur. Mild to moderate exercise 3-5 times a week will do wonders for preventing spinal bone loss.
- Improve Your Diet – Our bodies draw a number of key vitamins and nutrients necessary for healthy bone production from our diets, so improving our food and water intake can really help stave off bone loss. Work on getting your daily recommended amount of Vitamin D and calcium, as these are very important in bone development.
- Kick The Vices – Two lifestyle choices inhibit healthy blood flow and can speed up the degenerative process. These choices are tobacco use and excessive alcohol consumption. Studies have shown a clear link between smoking and spinal disc height loss, which compromises the integrity of your spinal canal. Excessive alcohol intake can also work against healthy bone production, so drink in moderation or less.
- Know Your Risk – Certain individuals are predisposed to a higher risk of osteoporosis and spinal bone loss. Individuals over the age of 60 and women are at the greatest risk, so really focus on the above tips if you’re part of an at-risk group.
- Weight Management – Obese individuals will experience more spinal bone loss than healthy weight individuals because of the stress their spine will absorb over the years. If you work your way towards a healthy weight, you’re taking pressure off your spine, and that will slow the degenerative process.
- 6. Talk With Your Doctor – This is all good general advice, but for a more hands-on plan tailored to your specific situation, talk with your physician or your spinal specialist about osteoporosis and your risk of spinal bone loss. If you have any concerns about your spine or you have a history of spine issues in your family, talk about them with your doctor, because prevention is always preferred to treatment.
For more information, or for more tips on how to prevent spinal bone loss, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi’s office today.
