About Richmond Chiropractic and Richmond Osteoporosis

"Did you get your DEXA scan? What is your bone mass?" You are certainly aware of osteoporosis and the tests and medical solutions to its effects, positive and negative. You may even have tried the once a month pill for osteoporosis prevention. Regardless, osteoporosis is really not a disease of the older person (Yes, "person" because men get osteoporosis, too!), but rather a disease of youth. We humans build bone mass in our youth, as teenagers. Calcium, Vitamin D and other nutrients are important nutritional factors in young people's diets, and today's diets aren't that good.

the degeneration of bone with loss of bone mass, calcium content, and trabeculi, making bones weak and brittle and increasing the risk for fractures

Simply put, osteoporosis means porous bones, bones that are brittle and at higher risk of fracture and degenerative changes. Symptoms of osteoporosis, though, do not present themselves until middle age or so. By then, it is more difficult to try to build bone more mass as the body doesn't absorb nutrients as well as it did when we were kids.

Xrays are important: Falls in osteoporotic patients are particularly risky for fractures. In treating a patient with osteoporosis who reports pain in the spine and had a recent fall, an xray is important to rule out any fractures.

• If a fracture (called a "compression fracture") is noted, a special treatment application method is used.

• If no fracture is noted, the doctor using chiropractic Cox Technic treats the spine to open the spinal canal space and increase disc height to relieve pain.

A thorough, clinical examination of the affected spinal area - cervical, thoracic, and/or lumbar - that may include imaging is important to your recovery.

In office, Johnson Chiropractic uses Cox Technic Flexion Distraction and Decompression to widen the canal space, drop the intradiscal pressure and increase the disc height to relieve pain.

You will welcome the Cox Technic manipulation that gently "pulls you apart," as many patients describe the treatment or say they need. Depending on your affected area of the spine - cervical, thoracic, and/or lumbar - Cox Technic will be applied appropriately. Depending on the severity of your pain and symptoms, gentler Protocol I may be applied until 50% relief of pain or more restoring Protocol II may be applied to guide your recovery.

In office adjunctive care may hasten your recovery.

At home you may want to avoid sitting for long periods of time, wear a support brace if recommended, take nutritional supplements that help rebuild disc cartilage and bone, do exercises that strengthen your spine, sleep on a supportive mattress, sit in an ergonomically designed chair, and modify your daily activities as needed.

Contact Johnson Chiropractic for gentle care of your osteoporosis.