1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Osteoporosis and Osteopenia

My sisters journey

Posted , 4 users are following.

auRosie
auRosie

I am worried.

I am number eight child in a family of nine children

I am 63 being born in 1953 female

Child number 9 who turned 60 this year 2016, has Osteoporosis

We grew up in Australia with lots of sun, milk and home grown leafy greens

The only difference between me and number 9 child (female) is

I was a tomboy and was never still, and played outside till dark and played sport as a school girl and as a young mum and golf in my  40/50's

where my younger sister always sat quietly and played wih her dolls. She did line dancing in her late 30's and that's about as active as she got

Do you think this has something to do with the Osteoporosis picture?

Since being diagnosed my sister has stuck to an alternative health eating plan 100%. She opted to go with the alkaline diet she has stuck to this  for the last 2 and a half years. She also followed a regular walking and dance routine to promote calcium 

Her condition has deteriorated she has repeated spine fractures and is ageing fast.

Do you think it's time she gave conventional medicine a chance?

1 like, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • AlexandriaGizmo
    AlexandriaGizmo auRosie

    Posted

    I think that it would have to be her choice completely with maybe a good representation of what is in offer prescription wise, I'm presuming you have had a dexa scan and your OK I also have osteoporosis in hips and osteopenia in back, not sure exercise or lifestyle makes a massive difference as I do know of very active people who now have it, maybe its because we live longer and before there were no tests and now there is

  • ruby06073
    ruby06073 auRosie

    Posted

    I agree it is entirely up to the individual.  unfortunately this condition, taking into account your sisters age,  is probably due to lack of estrogen hormone, after the menapause.  If not it could be a number of other factors, I doubt that lack of exrcise alone has caused the condition.  I myself, have always been active and into sport, but I have the condition.
  • Anhaga
    Anhaga auRosie

    Posted

    The "alkaline" diet is probably not enough.  She would need to make sure her Vitamin D level was good by having a blood test.  I think there are also tests to check for calcium levels as well.  I'd do all that before starting any of the drugs.  Obviously in her condition she may need the extra help of the drugs, but there are many people who have managed to improve bone density through diet and exercise alone, I am one of them but I was never in the condition your sister appears to be in.

    She needs ot make sure she is getting Vitamin D3 especially if her levels are low, Vitamin K2 (not K1 which although important does not help the bones) and a few other nutrients, magnesium in particular to balance any extra calcium she is taking in.  

    Walking is a great exercise.  She needs to get help from a physiotherapist to learn techniques for guarding the spine.  Tai chi is good for improving balance, and Nordic walking can help straighten the spine if one is getting hunched, and helps improve upper body strength.  One of my neighbours was very bent over from osteoporosis (she's in her 80s I think) and started using walking poles.  She was not able to use them the same way as a healthy person, but over a relatively short period of time with the help of an instructor she became much more upright and I think this alone has really helped her mental outlook.

    Chronic pain and deteriorating health are very depressing but it sounds like she has a good attitude, trying to tdo what's best to improve her health.  I do recommend that even if she opts for medications she carry on and improve all the healthy things she's already doing.

    Btw not all leafy greens are equally good for calcium absorption - collards, kale and broccoli good, spinach and chard not so much.  Lots of info on internet about non dairy sources of calcium.  Also I've started eating a lot of fermented foods (yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut and its relatives, kimchi, etc) and I think improving the health of the micorbiome can be good for everything.  Just start slowly with very small helpings if not used to it, to let the gut microbes adapt.

  • auRosie
    auRosie

    Posted

    Thank you very much for your replies. I now have lots to think about or research.

    Sorry for my late reply I couldnt find my way back here till today

    I have bookedmarked the forum now

    cheers

    Rosie

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.