Aging Well

While we age, we need to be weary of the changes that we are feeling as we age. Often, we start noticing that our joints become stiff and much more limited. Also, as we age, we start seeing a reduction in our bone mass. This is perfectly normal. This increases after menopause in females. Your bones are so important, so we need to protect them! The Cleveland clinic identifies these vital functions for our bones:

1. Support for our entire body
2. Store minerals
3. Produce blood cells
4. Protect our organs
5. Provide movement

So how do we not allow our muscle mass and bone mass to deteriorate even further? We need to remember the three components that equals a good quality of living. These are moving well, eating well and thinking well. These three components are often not meet and individuals suffer. In fact, the World Health Organization reports that 1 in 2 Americans live with a musculoskeletal condition. And the CDC in 2013-2015 reported that 53.4 million adults had arthritis, RA, gout, lupus or fibromyalgia. Did you know that these conditions all have a direct correlation to movement and food that we eat? Your chiropractor can help you with your movement. Your chiropractor can also assist you in helping you with your nutrition.

For example, your chiropractor may recommend giving you some additional nutrients in your diet like magnesium and calcium. You can find these is some whole food choices like spinach, legumes, nuts, milk yogurt, kale, etc. You can also find these things in supplements. If you want to learn more about things that you can do to support your bone, joint, and muscle health, please contact our office. Remember that aging is normal, but with some changes in your lifestyle you can age well!

References:

Briggs, A. M., Woolf, A. D., Dreinhöfer, K., Homb, N., Hoy, D. G., Kopansky-Giles, D., ... & March, L. (2018). Reducing the global burden of musculoskeletal conditions. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 96(5), 366.
Licata, A. (2009). Bone density vs bone quality: what's a clinician to do?. Cleveland Clinic journal of medicine, 76(6), 331-336.
Barbour, K. E., Helmick, C. G., Boring, M., & Brady, T. J. (2017). Vital signs: prevalence of doctor-diagnosed arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitation—United States, 2013–2015. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report, 66(9), 246.