What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis literally means “porous bones.” Normal, healthy young bones go through a process of breaking down and removing old bone cells and replacing them with fresh, new bone cells.
However, as you age, you produce fewer new bone cells, while your body still removes the old bone cells at the same rate. Eventually, your bones lose density and strength and become porous and brittle. Brittle bones are more at risk for fracture.
Why do I have osteoporosis?
About 10 million women and men in the United States have osteoporosis, and another 44 million have low bone density, also known as osteopenia. Osteoporosis and osteopenia usually occur as part of the natural aging process.
If you’re a woman, you’re more likely to develop osteoporosis after menopause, when your estrogen levels decline. If you’re a man, you may develop osteoporosis as you age and your testosterone levels drop.
Other risk factors for osteoporosis are:
- Low calcium intake
- Inactive lifestyle
- Being white or Asian
- Having a small body frame
- Having a family history of osteoporosis
- Corticosteroid use
- Eating disorders
- Gastrointestinal surgery
Some medical conditions increase your risk for osteoporosis, including cancer, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and lupus.
What are the symptoms of osteoporosis?
You could have osteoporosis and not realize it until you fracture a bone. That’s why getting regular bone-density scans (aka DXA scans) is an important part of taking care of your bones. Osteoporosis can affect any bone, but it’s often found in the:
Breaking a hip can be a serious and life-threatening complication of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis can also cause skeletal pain, reduced mobility, and depression.
What are treatments for osteoporosis?
Many of the drugs that are traditionally prescribed to treat osteoporosis keep old bone cells in place, rather than clearing them out, since the old cells won’t be replaced by new ones.
Though your bones may be denser, they might actually be weaker and more prone to breakage than they were before taking the medication. Other ways to treat osteoporosis and stop bone loss include:
- Osteogenic loading activities
- Walking, dancing, and jumping
- Lifting weights
- Eating more calcium-rich foods
- Taking calcium supplements
- Quitting smoking and alcohol
The team also recommends medical marijuana to prevent further bone loss.
How does medical marijuana help to treat osteoporosis?
Cannabinoids can help your bones repair fractures and recover from other injuries. They slow bone loss, so they can help you halt osteoporosis if you have it, or prevent it if you haven’t developed it.
To find out how to use medical marijuana to protect your bones and control osteoporosis, contact Florida Compassionate Care Centers today by phone or using the online form.
