BONE HEALTH
at Absolute Health and Wellness
Our skeletal system is comprised of 206 bones, which provide structural support, protection for our vital organs, and allowing us to move. Within the bones is bone marrow, where blood cells are created. The bones also serve as a reservoir for minerals needed by the body, particularly calcium.
A healthy bone is dense, but not brittle or soft. It is strong and resilient to the day to day forces placed upon it. Bones grow when we’re young and around puberty get to their peak density and size.
There are many types of bone disease. The most common are osteopenia and osteoporosis, which leads to diminished bone mineral density. Other bone related issues are fractures and issues caused by brittle or soft bones. All these issues can benefit by seeing the team at Absolute Health and Wellness.
If you have been diagnosed with any of the following, our team at Absolute Health and Wellness can help!
- Osteopenia / Osteoporosis
- Fractures (during recovery phase)
- Osteomalacia
- Osteogenesis imperfecta
- Paget disease of Bone
- Fibrous dysplasia
- Bone Cancers (Osteosarcoma, Chondrosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma)
The Naturopath's Approach to Bone Health
ASSESSMENT: Your naturopath will carefully assess your overall bone health, but also focus on a systems-based approach. We will discuss the following, as they all pertain to bone health:
- Healthy Aging: bones undergo changes as we age, many can be addressed or minimized
- Hormones: hormones play a huge role in bone health, especially as we age; women usually have more significant impacts
- Exercise: physical activity is protective of bone health, but we need to make sure the type you’re doing is done correctly
- Diet: the foods you eat contain the micronutrients involved in mineralizing bones and a lot of misconceptions exist around diet and bone health
- Specialized Lab Testing: in some instances, bone loss can be measured with special tests and we can determine underlying causes of unexpected bone loss or bone disease
TREATMENT: our naturopath uses several options to treat bones:
- Prevention: many lifestyle factors can protect against future bone disease
- Diet/Nutrition: diet plays a huge role in bone health. Many misconceptions exist with how to safely eat for optimal bone health
- Herbs: bones can be affected by various factors (such as hormones, nutrient deficiencies and imbalances), and herbs can affect those factors profoundly
- Vitamins/Minerals: certain key nutrients make up the structural components of bones. Supplementing these nutrients can benefit bone health when diet cannot
- Lifestyle Change: various modifiable lifestyle factors (such as weight, smoking, sleep, exercise, diet, and motivation) have important roles to play in overall health
Click here to learn more about Naturopathy.
The Phyiotherapist's Approach to Bone Health
ASSESSMENT: Our physiotherapists can determine how changes to bone are affecting function and daily life by assessing:
- Patient History: risk factors, causation
- Observation: for any signs of extra bone growth or posture changes
- Gait and Functional Tests: to assess your body mechanics and determine if that is contributing to or affected by your issue
- Range of Motion: noting any movement restrictions and comparing your range of motion to normative values
- Strength: looking for weakness or balance
- Soft Tissues: testing the tendons, ligaments, muscles, and cartilage that attach to the bone
- Palpation: to assess how the joints are moving and the bony surfaces interact with each other
TREATMENT: Our physiotherapists use a variety of treatment techniques to help you optimize your bone health:
- Manual Therapy: joint mobilizations, soft tissue release, and stretching to help improve range of motion
- Acupuncture and Dry Needling: acupuncture has been proven to be effective for several aspects of bone health
- Therapeutic Modalities: hot/cold therapy and electrostimulation can help manage pain for bone-related issues (e.g. fracture)
- Exercise: clinical practice guidelines recommend exercise for osteopenia/osteoporosis management as well fracture recovery
- Education: regarding appropriate exercise and pain management techniques for self-management
Click here to learn more about Physiotherapy.
The Chiropractor's Approach to Bone Health
ASSESSMENT: Our chiropractors use thorough history to assess your bone health:
- Health History: learning about your past helps us better understand your current state of bone health
- Head to toe assessment: chiropractors help with issues of the spine, but also peripheral joints too
- Movement: observing how you move tells them a lot about how your bones and joints might be affecting the way you move
- Functional Testing: range of motion, pain
- Strength: looking for weakness
TREATMENT: Our chiropractors use a variety of treatment techniques to help you manage your bone health:
- Manual Therapy: joint manipulations/mobilizations, soft tissue release, and stretching to help improve how bony surfaces interact with each other
- Therapeutic Modalities: hot/cold therapy and electrostimulation may help with bone-related pain
- Exercise: plays an important role in bone health
Click here to learn more about Chiropractic.
The Massage Therapist's Approach to Headache
ASSESSMENT: Massage therapists can treat those with bone conditions – our therapists will take special precautions and do their own assessment to make sure your massage is done safely and without contraindication.
Our Massage Therapists will assess you to best learn of your needs during your relaxation or therapeutic massage.
- Patient History: to determine any causative factors
- Observation: for any signs of irritation, inflammation, or changes in posture
TREATMENT: Our massage therapists use a variety of treatment techniques to help you manage your bone health
Click here to learn more about Massage Therapy
