Osteoporosis

It isn’t a surprise to know that 95 per cent of the bone mass is formed in the early twenties and the deposits of calcium into the bones are not easily absorbed after 35. The bone bank does not accept deposits beyond that age and it is only wit hdrawals from the bones once that age is crossed for metabolic needs.

What is bone health?

Our bones are made up of complex tissues and give structural support to muscles, protect vital organs and store calcium for bone density and strength. But as the building of bones of the body only happens till the age of about 35 and degeneration or loss of bone starts gradually after 35 years it is imperative that the proper assimilation happens before it starts to degenerate.

The loss of bone is also influenced by various factors.

For example Asian women are more susceptible to loss of calcium from the bones. Comparatively women lose more calcium than men. People with sedentary occupations without any physical exercise and women spending time indoors without exposure to sunlight are at a higher risk for weakening of the bones.

Obese people are more likely to be affected.

A woman needs more calcium. For example she needs calcium during pregnancy and lactation.

Hormones can also influence the loss of bone, for example during menopause a woman may lose about seven per cent of total loss of calcium. A woman with irregular or delayed menses is likely to lose more calcium. Early menopause also hastens osteoporosis.

Diet is the main cause for lack of calcium. Inadequate intake of calcium rich foods always tends to draw the calcium from the bones for the daily needs and when this withdrawal is not supplemented the problem begins.

People who smoke or consume alcohol are more likely to have this problem.

Osteoporosis is often called the "silent disease" because bone loss occurs without symptoms. People may not know that they have osteoporosis until their bones become so weak that a sudden strain, bump or fall causes a fracture or a vertebra to collapse. This also can cause early development of arthritis.

Milk and milk products are the primary source of calcium and their intake should be encouraged in children. Obese people, or ones suffering from high cholesterol can have skimmed and low fat milk. Children who dislike milk should be pushed to have butter, cheese, margarine, almonds, dry figs which are also rich in calcium.

Fish, shellfish and shrimp afford good calcium too. Broccoli, cabbage and spinach too have good amounts of calcium.

Common remedies

Homoeopathy has good remedies to maintain bone health. The various conditions in which osteoporosis occurs can all be treated like hormonal imbalance, menstrual irregularities can be treated and degeneration curtailed. There are also conditions in which there is an adequate intake of calcium in the food but there is an improper assimilation leading to osteoporosis. Homoeopathy has medicines that help improve assimilation. In some diseases of parathyroid which takes care of the calcium metabolism in the body there is an excessive loss of bone which too can be helped with these medicines. Fractures during injuries can be helped too as these improve osteogenesis.