When it comes to your bones, “dense” is good. Dense bones are strong bones and strong bones are healthy bones.
Porous bones are brittle and fragile. They can break often and easily—even as a result of a well-intentioned hug or a strenuous cough. If you are one the 41,000 Canadians living with a spinal cord injury (SCI), even getting in or out of your wheelchair or simply rolling over in bed can cause a fracture.
Here are some basic facts about the loss of bone density:
- The loss of bone density is due to a disease called osteoporosis.
- People with osteoporosis experience mineral loss, especially the loss of calcium, which makes bones strong and flexible.
- In Canada, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 8 men over the age of 50 have osteoporosis.
- People with neurological impairments such as SCI, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, stroke or acquired brain injury are more likely to develop osteoporosis.
- Studies show that people with spinal cord injuries lose 33% of their bone density in the first year after injury.
- People living with spinal cord injuries break their thighbone so often that the injury has become known as the “paraplegic fracture.” These injuries are difficult, and sometimes impossible, to heal.
Building better bones
Here are some things you can do to strengthen your bones and help prevent fractures. This information is from Toronto Rehab’s Bone Health Program, which is associated with the hospital’s Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Program at the hospital’s Lyndhurst Centre:
How do I know if I have osteoporosis?
You can find out by having a bone mineral density (BMD) test. A machine called a bone densitometer is used to measure the thickness of your bones. Remember, when it comes to your bones, denser is better.
The test is safe, painless and takes only 15 to 30 minutes. Results from our Bone Density Lab are usually available within one month. They will be faxed to your doctor, who will review them with you.
Regular check-ups are a good idea. You should have a bone density test regularly. This helps your doctor keep an eye on changes that may occur over time. It also helps your doctor help you maintain your bone health.
What can I do to maintain bone health?
Education is key to better bone health. Learn all you can about the disorder and about what you can do to minimize its impact and progression. Our Bone Density Lab has information on osteoporosis and spinal cord injury and other neurological conditions.
For more general information on osteoporosis, visit the website of the Osteoporosis Canada at
www.osteoporosis.ca
Eat well and stay active
Regular check-ups, a healthy diet and regular weight-bearing exercise are just some of the things you can do to maintain healthy bones.
- A well-balanced diet that includes a variety of calcium-rich foods is very important. A list of common foods containing generous amounts of calcium is available from our Bone Density Lab (also see Your Bone Health and Eating Right for Spinal Cord Injury).
- Cut down on the amount of caffeine you have daily. That includes coffee, tea, hot chocolate, some pop (cola) and other drinks that are full of caffeine. Drink less than 3 servings a day.
- If you find it difficult to get the recommended daily amount of calcium through diet alone, your doctor may suggest a calcium supplement. Vitamin D is also needed to improve your body’s ability to absorb calcium. A review of your dietary calcium and Vitamin D intake is available in consultation with a bone health specialist.
- Weight-bearing activities such as weight training, skipping, running, standing in a standing frame or using long leg braces can improve your bone health. Activities that improve balance and coordination will limit your risk of falling. Exercises designed to improve flexibility and posture can prevent a “hump back.”
- The Bone Density Lab can direct you to exercise programs offered at Toronto Rehab sites. For a list of exercise programs elsewhere, contact the Osteoporosis Society.
What treatment is available?
Adopting a bone-healthy lifestyle will go a long way to helping you manage osteoporosis. But medication may also be needed. Ask your doctor or the staff in the Bone Density Lab about what is currently available.
Research
Answers to our many questions about osteoporosis—including why some people get it while others don’t, how to prevent the disorder, and how to cure it—can best be found through scientific research.
Our Bone Density Lab researchers are leading the way in trying to find answers to the many questions related to osteoporosis in people with spinal cord injuries and other neurological impairments. For example:
- We’re trying to figure out if medication can prevent the onset of osteoporosis in people who suffer a traumatic spinal cord injury.
- We’re trying to find a reliable test or measure than can be used to predict which individuals will be susceptible to bone fractures around the knee in order to prevent them from happening.
- We are also investigating the effect different weight-bearing devices have on treating low bone density around the hip and knee.
Top 5 reasons to refer your patients to Toronto Rehab for bone density testing
- Our Lab is staffed to better service individuals with mobility impairments. The Lab is wheelchair accessible and equipped with an overhead patient lift to facilitate ease and safety during transfers.
- No waiting. Patients can usually be seen within 5 to 7 days of receipt of your written referral.
- Clinically useful DXA test reports available within one month.
- Research currently underway will ensure that you receive the latest evidence-based prevention and treatment recommendations for your patients.
- Bone density testing is just one component of our Bone Health Program from which you and your patients can benefit.
More information
If you would like more information about our Bone Health Program, please contact us at:
Bone Density Lab
Toronto Rehab – Lyndhurst Centre
416-597-3422, ext. 6357