Dealing with osteopenia, ways to increase bone density

[tinymoose]

It's all personal experience, but the guy who ran my intro Crossfit class tonight said his MIL was able to reverse her diagnosed osteoporosis with Crossfit (aka weight lifting). If I'm able to reverse my Osteopenia (that I've had since my 20s) I'll let you know!

 

[SallyCat]

You really need to look into getting more vitamin K2 in MK-4 form.

My older sister opted for K2, MK-4 after a scan that showed some loss in density. She wanted to try to avoid Fosamax, so gave K2 a try for two years, under her doctor's auspices. At two years, the new scan showed no new loss. It's definitely got me thinking about it as I approach menopause.

 

[tesdavis]

I just found this discussion and it is very interesting. In college I studied exercise physiology, fitness and aging, etc... One thing I learned is that the majority of our bone density is gained during adolescence; during adulthood we are mainly trying to slow the loss of bone. Impact and weight bearing exercise along with diet are the primary things we can do to help. I now work with middle school students and work with science/health teachers to impress upon this age group the need to build healthy bone during the critical years. I think its promising that more girls are involved in sports like volleyball, soccer, basketball, track, etc...than before.

Much of the research on bone density is being done by space programs. Bone and muscle loss is a huge obstacle for astronauts being in a zero gravity environment. Astronauts can lose up to 2% of bone density per month in space and are at increased risk of developing kidney stones. Space medicine technology and research have developed special exercise equipment to battle this problem which is also practical for health promotion for the aging.

 

[SkiBilly]

@marzNC. I can be a guinea pig for you
I just had a bone density test and have osteopenia. My hip is not too bad but my spine is worse. I'm not taking any drugs but am on a mission to build my bones back up. I'm having a follow up scan in two years time.

My history is that I went through natural early menopause at 41 and had a bone density test after missing 6 cycles. My bones were not good and my Dr put me on the low dose pill and I was to take it for my bone health until I was 50. At 46 I had a follow up BD scan and my bones were excellent...equal to a woman aged in her 20s. At around 49 1/2 I got tired of taking the pill so I stopped. I turned 50 in May last year, so it was about a year or so after stopping the estrogen that I again had a BD scan and got the bad news about my bones.

I have a weights program sorted and I am walking and doing heaps of gardening, which are supposed to be very good for bone health (though I have a big problem with my foot at the moment and my walking and squats/lunges have been put on hold, but still doing heaps of gardening as we have a new big acreage to plant out and maintain).

I have been having lots of lower back pain over the last six months, which I have never had before, but my Dr. says it's not usual to feel it when your bones are weak. However, as soon as I turned 50 I felt my body change. I've now got two years to hopefully get my bones to match my age.

Of interest also... I breastfed our 3 children : the 1st - 9 mths, 2nd - 10 1/2 mths and the last 18 mths. I have been reading up on studies about how this can affect bone health too.

 

[marzNC]

@marzNC. I can be a guinea pig for you
I just had a bone density test and have osteopenia. My hip is not too bad but my spine is worse. I'm not taking any drugs but am on a mission to build my bones back up. I'm having a follow up scan in two years time.

My history is that I went through natural early menopause at 41 and had a bone density test after missing 6 cycles. My bones were not good and my Dr put me on the low dose pill and I was to take it for my bone health until I was 50. At 46 I had a follow up BD scan and my bones were excellent...equal to a woman aged in her 20s. At around 49 1/2 I got tired of taking the pill so I stopped. I turned 50 in May last year, so it was about a year or so after stopping the estrogen that I again had a BD scan and got the bad news about my bones.

I have a weights program sorted and I am walking and doing heaps of gardening, which are supposed to be very good for bone health (though I have a big problem with my foot at the moment and my walking and squats/lunges have been put on hold, but still doing heaps of gardening as we have a new big acreage to plant out and maintain).

I have been having lots of lower back pain over the last six months, which I have never had before, but my Dr. says it's not usual to feel it when your bones are weak. However, as soon as I turned 50 I felt my body change. I've now got two years to hopefully get my bones to match my age.

Of interest also... I breastfed our 3 children : the 1st - 9 mths, 2nd - 10 1/2 mths and the last 18 mths. I have been reading up on studies about how this can affect bone health too.

Thanks for sharing your experience so far. Sorry about the back pain. I'll be very interested in how things go at your next bone density test.

I've tried to do weights in the last year or so. Meaning heavier weight and limited reps most relevant for upper body bone building. My hips are solid. Not going to repeat a bone density test for a while. Never took any hormone therapy for menopause or bone loss. Have done acupuncture monthly for general health since age 50, so ten years so far.

However, did have a fall off a bike (slow) that provided a little data in the fall. I hit hard the wrong way because I put my right hand out. My forearm (not wrist) hurt pretty bad the next day. However, a visit to Orthopedic Urgent Care and X-rays, the Physician's Asst. was very clear that no bone was broken, not even a hairline fracture. I did my usual acupuncture and Yunnan Baiyao to speed healing. No pain within a week and fully healed in about three weeks.

Don't know if you could find one in Australia, but you might consider a weighted vest. There are several sources in the U.S. that are geared towards women looking to build bone, as opposed to body builders working towards a different goal.

https://over50skifitness.blogspot.com/2016/04/weight-vest-for-better-bone-health.html

 

[santacruz skier]

I have been having lots of lower back pain over the last six months, which I have never had before, but my Dr. says it's not usual to feel it when your bones are weak.

Wow. That is interesting. I have never heard that before about lower back pain ( I suffer from that as well) and have had multiple bone density scans with not wonderful results. My spine was good but hips not so good. Finally diagnosed with osteoporosis and agreed (really didn't want to but doctor said I had no business skiing if I didn't do something) to take Fosamax for 5 years. Done with Fosamax and no longer osteoporosis - mild osteopenia now.

 

[bounceswoosh]

I'm younger, but a few years ago, I asked my doc for a bone density test to get a baseline. She said, if you have low bone density, I would tell you to take vitamin D. But that's what I'd tell you to do, anyway. You don't need a test.

I thought it was a little flip, but on the other hand, there are no reasons to think I'd have any bone density issues. Actually more the opposite, since the only bone break/fracture in my (active and accident-prone) life was an avulsion fracture on my finger.

 

[santacruz skier]

Well I was kind of the poster child for osteoporosis . Very small bones, very lightweight, blue eyes, um what else did my doc tell me? Oh yeah, grandma and great grandma were little old ladies (my age now?) bent at the spine.

Only broken bone (knock on wood) was my baby toe in Puerto Vallarta a couple years ago.
And so I continue to ski..... YES.

 

[bounceswoosh]

Well I was kind of the poster child for osteoporosis . Very small bones, very lightweight, blue eyes, um what else did my doc tell me? Oh yeah, grandma and great grandma were little old ladies (my age now?) bent at the spine.

Only broken bone (knock on wood) was my baby toe in Puerto Vallarta a couple years ago.
And so I continue to ski..... YES.

Blue eyes??

 

[santacruz skier]

Blue eyes??

Yep.... blue eyes is what the doctor told me. And I have heard that before.. Also fair skin (mine is light olive) but I never thought of myself as having fair skin. Odd, huh?

 

[marzNC]

Bottom line is that all adults, men and women, begin losing more bone than they are building by age 40 or so. Menopause accelerates bone loss in women. One reason it's so important for teen girls and young women to do what they can to build bone before age 30 or 35 is to start with a stronger base when the inevitable shift happens. At younger ages, good basic nutrition (calcium, Vitamin D) can make a big difference even without bone building exercises.

 

[ski diva]

Yeah, blue eyes? That's a new one on me! I am so not blue-eyed, and I do have osteopenia. Though I am "of the age," as well as small boned and lightweight. Also, my mom and grandmother had it. So I'm doomed.

 

[santacruz skier]

Yeah, blue eyes? That's a new one on me! I am so not blue-eyed, and I do have osteopenia. Though I am "of the age," as well as small boned and lightweight. Also, my mom and grandmother had it. So I'm doomed.

Oh I'm definitely "of the age"........ and doomed as well....

 

[newboots]

Fair skin, blue eyes, small frame and early menopause! That last one caught me, along with fair skin. Back in th days when Fosamax was a given, I took it without trouble. The osteoporosis disappeared and I've been thrilled not to have it back. No osteopenia either! Only later did the concerns about Fosamax grow.

 

[santacruz skier]

Fair skin, blue eyes, small frame and early menopause! That last one caught me, along with fair skin. Back in th days when Fosamax was a given, I took it without trouble. The osteoporosis disappeared and I've been thrilled not to have it back. No osteopenia either! Only later did the concerns about Fosamax grow.

I refused to take Fosamax back then so started taking in maybe 2012. My doctor said not to take it more than 5 years. That being said , when I broke my toe a couple of years ago, and it wasn't healing, she said to stop the Fosamax for 2 months. I did and it healed. Quickly.

 

[newboots]

I refused to take Fosamax back then so started taking in maybe 2012. My doctor said not to take it more than 5 years. That being said , when I broke my toe a couple of years ago, and it wasn't healing, she said to stop the Fosamax for 2 months. I did and it healed. Quickly.

Interesting. I broke my first bone ever this summer, in my hand. I did fall on it badly. I finished the Fosamax years ago; bone densities have been fine over the years since.

 

[marzNC]

As it turns out, another reason that my bone density was on a low side is probably because my thyroid hormones were getting out of whack in recent years. The complete diagnosis was made in Fall 2016. In my case, I have hyperthyroidism because of Grave's Disease. I have both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism in my family background on my mother's side. After a year on medication, all the symptoms have gone away. Hopefully that also means that the exercises I've been doing to build bone will be that much more effective.

For references related to thyroid imbalance and treatment, check out my blog entry:
Bone Density and Hyperthyroidism

 

[Obrules15]

Well I was kind of the poster child for osteoporosis . Very small bones, very lightweight, blue eyes, um what else did my doc tell me? Oh yeah, grandma and great grandma were little old ladies (my age now?) bent at the spine.
.

Blue eyes??

Yep.... blue eyes is what the doctor told me. And I have heard that before.. Also fair skin (mine is light olive) but I never thought of myself as having fair skin. Odd, huh?

Yeah, blue eyes? That's a new one on me! I am so not blue-eyed, and I do have osteopenia. Though I am "of the age," as well as small boned and lightweight. Also, my mom and grandmother had it. So I'm doomed.

If you dig into the osteoporosis data the fair skin and blue eyes association is because of the super low risk of osteoporosis in black women (which is strongly tied to increased risk of high BMI), not so much an independent risk of caused by fair skin & blue eyes.

 

[santacruz skier]

If you dig into the osteoporosis data the fair skin and blue eyes association is because of the super low risk of osteoporosis in black women (which is strongly tied to increased risk of high BMI), not so much an independent risk of caused by fair skin & blue eyes.

Well that's interesting.

 

[newboots]

Correlation does not equal causation. We have to relearn that every time, it seems.