So I’m not sure about you, but I know that as soon as the snow drops I think about all of the people in Colorado heading up over I-70 to get their skiing & snowboarding on. It’s hard to resist the pull to be up in the mountains enjoying that fresh snow and all of the fun that the mountains have to offer come wintertime.
What I also hear alot about are broken legs and wrists from people who jumped too high and tried to do moves they weren’t ready for. Some people just have bad luck, but it all comes back to the same thing. Our bones are SO important to how we function day-to-day. We need the rigidity of our bones and skeletal structure to do pretty much everything. So when rough and tumble sports bring us an occasional broken bone, it can be a big set-back.
That’s part of why I want to bring Osteoporosis to your attention. It has everything to do with the strength of your bones and keeping your body in good running order.
Okay, I’ve definitely heard that word, but what exactly is Osteoporosis?
“Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and brittle — so brittle that a fall or even mild stresses such as bending over or coughing can cause a fracture. Osteoporosis-related fractures most commonly occur in the hip, wrist or spine.”
Your bones are actually really cool - they’re considered a living tissue that is in a constant flow of being broken down and then replaced. When the scales tip and you aren’t creating as much bone as you are breaking down, you get Osteoporosis.
When you are young, your body can regulate this a lot better than when you get older. “Most people reach their peak bone mass by age 30. As people age, bone mass is lost faster than it's created.” The bone mass you obtain in your youth plays a big role in how likely you are to develop osteoporosis later on.
What are the symptoms of Osteoporosis?
(These are referenced from the Mayo Clinic, Article 1.)
Back pain, caused by a fractured or collapsed vertebra
Loss of height over time
A stooped posture
A bone that breaks much more easily than expected
What are some common risk factors for Osteoporosis?
(These are referenced from the Mayo Clinic, Article 1.)
Your sex
Age
Race
Family history
Body frame size
Hormone levels (if you have too much or too little sex hormones or thyroid problems.)
Dietary factors (like low calcium intake, eating disorders, steroids, and other medications.)
Medical conditions (like cancer, multiple myeloma, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.)
Lifestyle choices (If you are sedentary often, have excessive alcohol consumption or tobacco use.)
Are there ways that I can prevent Osteoporosis?
The best way you can care for your body with osteoporosis is by getting started early.
You’ll want to have a healthy diet with consistent exercise to keep your bones healthy and in good shape!
Get more Calcium in your diet - “Men and women between the ages of 18 and 50 need 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day. This daily amount increases to 1,200 milligrams when women turn 50 and men turn 70.” (Article 1) You can get calcium from low-fat milk products, fish, dark green leafy vegetables, and soy.
Vitamin D - “Vitamin D improves the body's ability to absorb calcium and improves bone health in other ways.” (Article 1.) You can get support for this with sunlight exposure, supplements, etc. Just be careful with how you choose to do this!
Exercise - getting out and using your body can actually help you build bone mass and fight off bone loss. Starting this process while you’re young and continuing it throughout your life will be immensely beneficial for keeping Osteoporosis away.
How does light therapy help with Osteoporosis?
Here are two core things that happen during a Low-Level Light Therapy session that help with your Osteoporosis:
Infrared light therapy focuses your body's energy inward instead of outward. Often people are in a deep state of stress that redirects the body's attention away from natural processes. During a light therapy session the total state of relaxation allows your body to focus all of its energy on healing your skeletal structure by focusing your energy on producing more bone cells.
When your body absorbs red/near-infrared light energy, it stimulates a photochemical reaction within your mitochondria that increases ATP production and cell signaling. Basically, it gives your body the energy it needs to regulate itself and focus its efforts on healing your bones by regenerating more of it!
What does the science say?
I’ve tried to spare you from too much science verbiage - it makes my head spin too! But here’s what they’ve discovered so far:
Based on a recently performed analysis, it was observed that “Both the number of ROCs [“round-shaped” osteoclast cells, which when unregulated cause bone disease] and bone resorption activity were much lower in the irradiation group than in the control group.” What this means is that when they used LED light therapy on the subjects, it reduced these harmful ROC’s which reduced bone degeneration.
“Overall, 635-nm LED therapy may play a pivotal role in regulating bone remodeling, and it may prove to be a valuable tool to prevent bone loss in osteoporosis and other resorptive bone diseases.” (Article 2)
Additionally, there was a study performed in 2010 that tested red light therapy on the bodies ability to produce bone cells and allow for continued healing from bone breaks and fractures.
“Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a biophysical form of intervention in the fracture-repair process, which, through several mechanisms, accelerates the healing of fractures and enhances callus formation. “ (Article 3.)
If you know that your body is naturally experiencing more wear and tear and you’re worried you may have symptoms of Osteoporosis, please call me at 720-219-2990 and let's explore what’s possible for you!
~Lisa Chadsey
_____________________________________________________________________________
If you want to learn more about Light Therapy & my Light Therapy work, you can follow me with the links below, or email me at Lisa@lightmattersinfo.com - thank you for reading!
Instagram | Lightswithlisa
Facebook | Light Matters Therapy
Youtube | Lights With Lisa
Here are the articles I've referenced above:
Article 3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19399356/
If you liked this article you can also read:
#osteoporosislightherapy #lowlevellighttherapywavelengths #lighttherapywavelengths #lighttherapyhistory #lighttherapyosteoporosistreatment #howdoeslighttherapyheal #lighttherapymentalhealing #whylightherapyexists #feelnormalagain #healyourself #helpingthebodyhealitself #whatislighttherapy #learnaboutlights #learnaboutlighttherapy #canlightsheal #lighttherapy #healinglights #healyourself #modernmedicine #lightsthatheal #lightmatters #lightswithlisa #livinghealthy #howtoheal #healing #heallovedones #lighttherapyhealingosteoporosis #lightswithlisayoutube #homeopathy #livingwell #thelighttherapyosteoporosis #osteoporosis #lighttherapywavelengthscience