NATURAL REMEDIES FOR DEGENERATIVE BONE DISEASE

NATURAL REMEDIES FOR DEGENERATIVE

 BONE DISEASE

Natural remedies for bone diseases like osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, spinal spondylosis and spinal  are crucial due to the chronic threat to health posed by these conditions. Bone problems can lead to fractures, loss of mobility, and bone, joint, nerve and muscle pain. Ongoing drug use can endanger other parts of the body.Benefit your bones with preventive and palliative treatments. If you don't want to become dependent on drugs and pain relievers, make a self-care plan. Take steps to reduce further bone density loss and to stay out of the cycle of pain. Here's how to achieve a nutritious, calcium-rich diet, a moderate exercise regimen and drug-free pain relief.

CALCIUM

Your bones deteriorate when your body absorbs or stores the mineral calcium less efficiently than it used to. You can combat this downward trend with natural remedies by getting enough calcium and vitamin D. Even if you already have a degenerative bone disease such as osteoporosis or spinal stenosis, maintaining an adequate calcium level for your age and physical condition can still help. All men and women age 65 and over need 1,500 mg of calcium per day, as do postmenopausal women not on hormone replacement. Men under 65, premenopausal women, and postmenopausal women on hormone therapy need 1,000 mg. Add calcium to your diet by eating almonds, figs, dairy and soy products. Take a calcium supplement enriched with vitamin D for optimal calcium absorption. Additional bone benefits come from the plant estrogens contained in tofu.

EXERCISE

It sounds incongruous, but light exercise is good, not bad, for weakened bones. It can even help prevent osteoporosis, if practiced regularly while healthy. Exercising within your physical limits is simple and low cost.Doctors suggest a blend of weight-bearing and strength-training exercises to build and maintain muscle tone and strengthen bones. Walking, gardening, jogging, stair climbing, tennis and other sports fulfill the weight-bearing requirement. Strength training can involve elastic-band exercises or weight lifting. These natural remedies offer relief from both mental stress and the physical effects of degenerative bone diseases.

ICE AND HEAT

Cold and hot packs are popular natural remedies for pain relief. Unlike pharmaceutical pain relievers, cold pack therapy isn't addictive or harmful over the long term. The American Pain Society deems hot and cold therapy effective in controlling pain, a key component in treating osteoporosis and other painful degenerative bone diseases.
If you have combination symptoms, such as a muscle strain on top of the chronic pain, try alternating heat and cold. Keep one gel pack in the refrigerator for an instant cold compress, and keep another to microwave for heat. Apply heat to the painful area for 20 minutes or longer, and cold for 20 minutes or less.

Prof. John Kurakar