Osteoporosis

My husband is very lucky. His scores are plus where mine are minus.

Hence he has plus three and four and he is 74.

Hi Anhanga ,it is amazing the story of your friend .We should learn a lot from people so determined  .How many hours does she Nordic walking ? And did she give up coffee ? I am so adicted to coffee ,First thing in the morning and makes me feel good and ready for activities .

You know, the last time we met was at a coffee shop and I can't remember for sure but I think she had coffee with the rest of us.  I know she eats a lot of greens, the kind with bioavailable calcium (kale, not spinach, for example), and doesn't rely on dairy for her calcium.  In fact my daughter, who is a registered dietitian, says the jury is still out on whether or not dairy is the best source of dietary calcium for us, and she too encourages me to eat a lot of leafy greens!  I know my friend is very active, does things I couldn't dream of, like parkour.  Another friend was in a similar situation, got her bone density up and has now slacked off and is definitely shrinking.  So it's a lifetime commitment for sure.

My Nordic walking instructor said we should start with 15 minutes about three times a week, then work up as we felt stronger.  I can now walk for about an hour but by the end of that time I'm pretty exhausted, but I think that is because I'm still recovering from polymyalgia rheumatica.  That makes a difference because the steroid treatment has made my muscles much weaker and only now that I am getting to a really low dose do I feel my strength beginning to return.  Still don't have much stamina.  So I try to do some Nordic walking about every second day, and I do a lot of other exercise as well: regular walking, tai chi, physio exercises mainly for my back, yoga, wearing a weighted walking vest.

I am a tea drinker and I've no intention of giving it up.  Both tea and coffee have other things in them that are good for us so I think, all things in moderation.  Well, not all things - smoking is definitely bad for us!    ?

Oh Thank you very much for this beautiful message .

Your friend might have a strong will and she is very determined . Yes ,I agree with the new trend regarding leafy greens . As I am in east eu ,I miss kale .I use to travel to USA and spend some month in a row there and I ate always kale ,swees chard ,etc . Here I have chinese cabage (but not bok choy ) savory cabage ,brussel sprout ,broccoli ,califlower ,kohlrabi ,,things like this but I do not know how rich are these in calcium .Of course I can look up on google for  nutrtional information.

So , you say you are recovering from Polymialgia ? That can be treated ? I thought was  a chronic condition .I am glad to hear that you are doing better /

.Oh ,you know .I never took cortizon but I do have weak muscles too . I cannot do strong exercises or I will be almost dead for many days . I started many times to do regular ex . but in a way I always stoped .I do walk a lot and I am active ,very active ,always busy doing something .So I am looking to disciplined me .

. I did not know there are  even instructors for Nordik walking .And you are so active doing tai chi and yoga,and other things  .I admire you .You gave me this evening  a motivation .

I am smiling thinking to my tomorrow 's coffe. I drink 2 regular cups american style coffe .I have low blood pressure so it helps to give me some energy .

Bye now and thank you one more time .

(Yes smoking is bad -I am  glad I am not a smoker )

Bok choy is one of the greens which appears on a list of greens high in calcium.     And of course broccoli and some of the other things you list.  

PMR can be treated but not cured.  Eventually it usually goes into remission and in the meantime a low dose of corticosteroid can keep the pain under control.  So in a sense it is a chronic illness.

Good health to you!

It is good that you are in remission . I forgot to say that your daughter might be right to recommend greens . I love bok choy !! I will eat instead everyday chinese cabage   .I have no idea if I will like it or no .I have to keep in my mind how many things are you pursuing and start do the same (I mean mostly phisical activities ) .Thank you for sharing .Take care . And good health to you too.

 

Oh I'm not in remission.  I just haven't reached my lowest maintenance dose yet.  I'ts taken me over a year to get this far and I credit dead slow method for enabling me to achieve it.

It's

 

Oh I see ,sorry for having such a mean condition that requires cortzon ,.

 

I had to go to the dr. yesterday as my knee giveing me problems coming downstairs and by end of day also going upstairs , plus cant walk for longer than 30 mins any more. Took a couple of xrays and said knee joint fine (no osteoarthritis or due to Sjogren's which i have   however osteoporosis and had i been told that before and I should be on medication (diagnosis : the pain was inflamation under the knee cap probably due to excessive exercising)

?i was somewhat shocked (had only been told dexa score was -2.86 , last year and i assumed only appplied to my back)

?I know bone is bone and OP can affect all bones, but....

Has anyone else also been told about their knees?

?

 

Inflammation is about soft tissue not bone. Let it heal before you continue with your exercise. Take some anti inflammatories if you are allowed to.

Pain means rest and wait for pain to go. After two shoulder reconstructions and a damaged knee from a fall, rest is the main thing to calm your knee.

My tscores are far worse than yours and I would not assume osteoporosis of the knee but take precautions not to fall.

Rest and ice and painkillers!

have started anti inflammatories (got the best night sleep in weeks )

?The normal xray shows i have osteoporosis of the knee.  I had been presribed yearly zolendronic injection last yr which I had refused...I am reyling on vitmains and calcium supplements and dietary and excercise.  

?Just the shock of being told my left knee is affected has made me panic even though my scores are minimal compared to your and others here.  

That's odd, as standard x-rays don't usually detect osteoporosis unless the bones are very thin and "translucent"  - I think that's when radiologists use the word osteopenia - not the same as current usage which at the bone clinic we were told was incorrect.  We are told "low bone mass" not osteopenia when bones not yet osteoporotic.  Osteopenia in x-ray warrants follow up with DXA.

I looked this up and osteoporosis in knee can be caused by infection or injury, so not impossible.  But I think you should ask for DXA of that offending knee so you know exactly where you stand - no pun intended.  

X-rays cannot diagnose osteoporosis. I don't know why they have said that. Osteoarthritis can be picked up on an X-ray but only a Dexa scan can show osteoporosis.

Normal X-ray suggested my bones may be strong, very tiny, but not fragile looking. My GP said if any comment had been made about fragility I would need to rethink my opposition to the drugs.

I have damaged my knees from years of high impact areobics (including 'Step ' at the higest level and poor footware, again before the awareness of correct footware..and also was squatting and lunging with excessive weights for my body ..i weighed 55 kgs and used total weight of 20 kgs and sometimes 30kgs and i was in my late 40s...so no spring chicken)

So have suffered from gammy knees, off and on , for the last 10 yrs and assumed that running with ankle weights had caused this little bout.

?I looked at the xray while the Dr had it up and saw  half my knee looked as though it had a net running through it.

?Kathleen thats what i thought that ordinary xrays dont show osteoporosis

?i suppose i should now go for another dexa scan including my knee and see where we are (or ignore it all and continue with what i do ..che sera sera??)