Bone and Joint Health: The Key to Senior Independence

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Article Title:

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Bone and Joint Health: The Key to Senior Independence

Article Description:

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We all hope to have health and independence as we age. One

of the most important things we can do to make that happen

is to take care of our joints and bones.

Additional Article Information:

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617 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line

Distribution Date and Time: 2009-07-30 11:00:00

Written By: Kielty

Copyright: 2009

Contact Email: mailto:vck@...

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Bone and Joint Health: The Key to Senior Independence

Copyright © 2009 Kielty

North Carolina Insurance

http://www.ncinsuranceplan.com

We all hope to have health and independence as we age. One of the

most important things we can do to make that happen is to take

care of our joints and bones. Two of the most common diseases

that affect seniors are osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. By

taking steps to maintain bone and joint health early, we can

avoid these diseases later in life.

What Is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a disease in which the bone has deteriorated,

causing them to become fragile and break easily. It is most

common among women but can affect men as well. It is usually seen

in people over age 50 and accounts for over 1.5 million fractures

per year.

The body is constantly removing old bone and replacing it with

new bone. After age 30, we loose bone more quickly than it is

replaced and as we age, this process speeds up. There are no

symptoms of osteoporosis and a person may not even realize that

they have it until they suffer a break.

Risk Factors For Osteoporosis

People who are at a higher risk for getting osteoporosis include

those who have not consumed a great deal of foods containing

calcium during their life, those who have small bones or have a

family history of the disease or smoke or drink heavily.

How To Prevent The Disease

It is important to take action during your younger years to

prevent the development of osteoporosis as you age. One of the

most important things you can do is make sure that you get enough

calcium. The body needs calcium the most during childhood when

bones are rapidly growing. Women need more calcium during

pregnancy and when breast-feeding and also after menopause.

Be sure to eat dairy products, dark green vegetables, canned

salmon with bones, and foods with added calcium to ensure that

you're getting an adequate amount of calcium in your diet. You

also need a sufficient amount of vitamin D to help your body

absorb the calcium. Vitamin D comes from sunlight. If you live in

an area where are you do not get much sunlight, you may need to

take a vitamin D supplement. Exercise is also important.

Weight-bearing exercise is the best because it helps to

strengthen the bones.

What Is Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the result of many years of wear on joints. The

cartilage that is between the joint begins to break down. It

usually affects the spine, knees or hips. It can affect people of

all ages but usually shows up in those over age 45 and in

individuals who are overweight or perform a lot of activities

that put a great deal of strain on the joints.

Risk Factors For Osteoarthritis

One major risk factor in developing osteoarthritis is being

overweight. The additional weight puts more stress on the joints.

For every 2 pounds overweight you are, your risk of developing

osteoarthritis increases by 9%. Studies have shown that there is

also a strong genetic component to the disease. If you have a

family history of osteoarthritis, your joints will be able to

withstand less stress than if you had no family history.

How To Prevent The Disease

Staying at a healthy weight is one way you can prevent

osteoarthritis. Keep your muscles strong, especially your leg

muscles. If you keep your leg muscles strong you can

significantly reduce your chances of getting osteoarthritis in

your knees. Be careful about putting too much strain on your

joints from repetitive activities such as lifting or kneeling.

By taking action when we are younger, we can head off the effects

of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. Then we will be able to look

forward to a healthy and independent old age.

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Kielty lives in North Carolina and writes articles

on health insurance. If you are looking for rate quotes

on health insurance in North Carolina, visit BCBSNC, also

known as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina

http://www.ncinsuranceplan.com