Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis. You have heard the term osteoporosis so often! Boring? Not to your St Peters chiropractor at Old Mill Chiropractic! Check out these facts about osteoporosis as they relate to kids, teens, men and women. Let's talk more at your next St Peters chiropractic appointment.

CHILDREN

This is an amazing paper on Vitamin D deficiency in Finnish children. It's not that far a stretch to imagine that US and St Peters kids are similar. It states that Vitamin D insufficiency was common even when Vitamin D intake exceeded the recommended daily intake! Vitamin D status was a key determinant of bone mineral density. This suggests an urgent need to increase Vitamin D intake to optimize bone health in children. Vitamin D deficiency in kids may have long-term skeletal ramifications as Vitamin D affects calcium absorption, bone mineralization, and bone mass attainment. (1)

TEENS

It is vital to build bone mass in the development years of life. Our St Peters teens need this. Good diet and exercise habits during younger years is important to attain maximum bone mass. Clear increases in bone mass are seen before the age of 18 years, with the increases being most conspicuous from 10 to 14 years of age and the time of onset of menstruation. (4) Youth is the time to prevent osteoporosis' occurrence in the older years of life. Old Mill Chiropractic knows and understands this and incorporates this knowledge into your St Peters chiropractic treatment plan.

MEN

Those who started smoking in young adulthood have reduced growth of bone mineral density at clinically important sites such as the spine and hip than non-smokers. This increases the possibility of fracture in men with advancing age. (5) Talk with Old Mill Chiropractic about some information to stop smoking.

Vitamin D is vital. It regulates the development of disc cartilage in the spine. It is suggested that the growth of disc disease is affected by Vitamin D levels. (6) It plays a role in bone metabolism. Deficiency of Vitamin D can result in rounded shoulders and spine development as well as compression fracture of the spinal vertebra. (7) (Consult with Old Mill Chiropractic about nutritional and postural advice to prevent spine deformation and fracture.) Even a link between Vitamin D deficiency and a lower sense of smell has been reported. (8)

Old Mill Chiropractic will examine and document your spinal health and evaluate your risk for osteoporosis. Here are a sample of the things we'll check for

• Grip Strength Test - Low grip strength is a sign of osteoporosis.
• Body Mass - Lean body mass is a risk for osteoporosis. (2)
• Disc Degeneration - This loss of fluid from the intervertebral discs is a sign of osteoporosis in elderly women. (3)
• Spinal Stenosis - It is associated with osteoporosis and deficiency of Vitamin D. (10)

Trust Old Mill Chiropractic to manage your spinal conditions and be on the lookout for any signs of trouble before they start to affect your quality of life and increase your risk for osteoporosis. Contact Old Mill Chiropractic to set up your next St Peters chiropractic appointment.