There’s so much going on in our bodies that we never see, especially as it relates to our bones. This sturdy tissue gives our body structure, protects our organs, holds our muscles in place, and stores calcium. To accomplish all this, they need to stay strong and healthy.
Unfortunately, your chances of losing bone mass and strength increase with age, putting you at risk of fractures, spine malformations, and height loss. This occurs because you start losing more bone mass than you produce during the remodeling process after you reach age 30 or so. But there is good news — there are ways to keep your bones healthy at every age.
As an experienced orthopaedic trauma specialist, Dr. Eric E. Johnson treats bone problems, like fractures, on a daily basis at his practice in Westwood, Los Angeles, California. Although he encourages everyone to adopt these healthy habits for their bones, they’re even more vital for women.
Everyone can lose bone mass as they age, but the risks are far higher for women. That’s because women have less bone tissue than men, which leaves them with less bone mass to safely lose.
On top of that, menopause can speed up bone loss. Studies show up to 20% of loss density occurs during a woman’s menopausal years as estrogen levels drop. As a result, osteoporosis affects one in two postmenopausal women, leaving most with at least one fracture during their lifetime.
In most cases, your bone mass peaks around age 30. So, in an ideal world, you want to have as much stored up as possible before production starts slowing down — think of it as having extra bone in the bank. This added insurance gives your body more to draw on as you age, which reduces your chances of osteoporosis.
However, it isn’t too late to protect your bones, even in your 30s and beyond.
Don’t worry — there’s plenty you can do to keep your bones healthy at every age.
First, Dr. Johnson recommends recognizing your risks of osteoporosis. In addition to being an older woman, other factors that increase your chances of bone loss include:
Once you understand your personal risks for bone loss, you can add a few simple steps to slow or prevent additional bone loss.
Recognizing your risk of bone loss can help kickstart an action plan to keep your bones strong for the years to come.
For the best results, Dr. Johnson suggests:
Dr. Johnson also strongly recommends working closely with your doctor, especially if you’re at risk of osteoporosis. They could suggest a bone density test to evaluate your bone health. Based on all this information, they can create a personalized treatment strategy to help protect your bone mass moving forward.
How is your bone health? If you’ve had a fracture and you’re a woman, contact our office to schedule an appointment with Eric E. Johnson, MD, by calling 310-206-1169 today.
