It helps muscles contract, the heart to beat, and the brain to think. All in all, your body contains about three and a half pounds of calcium. Clearly, you need the right amount of calcium  foods in your diet and your body. Generally, if you need more calcium foods your gut traps more, and your kidneys excrete less.

But this protective system has many flaws. The calcium in your bones declines at a rate of about 1 to 3 percent per year. Counter strategies may modify this. For instance, countries whose inhabitants consume more dairy products also have citizens with more calcium in their bones.

But diet is only a part of the story. There is almost no osteoporosis in Third World countries not necessarily because of high dairy product intake, but because of the high levels of physical exercise. Fractured hips are a disease of inactivity and diminished calcium intake.

Twenty five million Americans have osteoporosis. Women are particularly at risk, having three to five times as many problems from weak bones as men. The recommended dietary allowance for calcium is 1,500; milligrams per day, the equivalent of three glasses of mi.

Even early in life, however, most of us don’t reach this ideal, so bone loss starts frequently in the 20s, but does not become pronounced enough to result in fractures until the 70s and beyond. Milk and its derivatives are the principal source of dietary calcium, but fish, particularly sardines, and green vegetables (broccoli, spinach) supply it as well.

Unfortunately, calcium  intake tends to decrease as you grow older is is a matter of taste or the of milk i a condition known as lactose intolerance (which results in diarrhea after consumption of a dairy product) is unknown.

In any case, calcium supplementation through any number of food or over the counter products is highly advised. I have treated hundreds of older people, mostly women, with fractured hips. Fractured hips are major nuisances in and of themselves, but more importantly may result in further decreased physical activity and independence, leading to a downward spiral in life quality.

In thinking about how such situations could have been prevented, one truism stands out. Active people don’t break easily. Most hip fractures I encounter are not the result of a big fall, but rather that of an awkward step off a curb or slip off the sofa. Such casual insults end up in 250,000 fractured hips and 500,000 fractured vertebrae every year.

And to add more insult to injury, the rest required after a fracture increases calcium loss by fifty fold. Why risk it?

It is never too late to take calcium and start exercising,and prevent fractures that can hamper your lifestyle.

Related posts:

1. How to Increase Calcium in Your Diet
2. Calcium And Bones
3. Tips And Tricks For Getting Calcium Into Kids

In addition to the density of your bones, a host of other factors contribute to your risk of fractures, the most serious concern related to having low bone density.

So no matter what your bone scan shows, be aware of and control to the extend possible the other risk factors for fracture some of which overlap with the risk of low bone density:

• Your mother broke a hip before she was 80.
• You had any fracture after the age of 50.
• You are taller than average.
• You rate your own health to be fair or poor.
• You can’t get up from a chair without using your arms.
• You have poor perceptions of depth and or contrast.
• You have a fast resting heart rate, over 80 beats for minute.
• You weigh less now than you did at 25.
• You have, or have had, hyperthyroidism, or age being treated for hypothyroidism with thyroid supplements.
• You use, or have over the long term, tranquilizers or anticonvulsants.
• You spend less than forur hours a day on your feet.
• You have lost of caffeine in your diet.

With no more than two of these risk factors and low bone density, or more than two and normal bone density, your risk of fracture is reasonably low about the same as that of someone without any of these risk factors. With five or more factors, combined with low bone density, your risk escalates to more than 25 that of someone without risk factors.

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Safety proofing your home to reduce the risk of falls or other accidents that might provoke a fracture.

If this steps don’t concern you directly, they may still be valuable advice for e friend or loved one.

The following list will get you started:

• Avoid clutter on the floor, and especially on steps, so you won’t trip or slip.
• Carpet slippery floors. Avoid cleansers, waxes, or polishes them make floors slippery. Wipe up spills as soon as they occur. Use rubber nonskid mats under area rugs.
• Install handrails in the shower and bathtub, and use rubber decals on the floor to keep you from slipping.
• Replace tables or other furniture low enough to be out of your normal line of vision that you might trip over.
• Keep phone and electrical cords short, off the floor, and properly affixed against walls or baseboards so you won’t trip over them.
• Make sure hallways, closets, and especially stairs are well light bright.
• Install flashlights handy, and put in night lights anywhere you might be walking during the night.

Some additional safety strategies:

• Choose supportive shoes without slippery soles, but also avoid those with such heavy rubber soles that they might actually trip you up.
• Avoid clothes long enough to get caught under your foot, particularly on stairs.
• Be aware of medication side effects or interactions that effect your balance or coordination, and ask your doctor or pharmacist about alternatives.
• Keep your blood pressure within normal range.
• Exercise to build strength, flexibility, balance and coordination, all of which help falls.
• Have your hearing and vision tested and corrected as well as possible.
• Keep your phones in as many rooms ass possible.
• Use the appropriate assistance for walking.
• If you fall and thing you have broken something, don’t move or let anyone else move you until you get professional help.
• If you have a pet, keep careful tracks of its whereabouts .
• Get help with heavy lifting, or opening stubborn at the knees.

As the old joke goes, the falling isn’t so bad. It is hitting the ground that really gets you. Take the time to protect yourself so you don’t have to find out for yourself.

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Resorption itself isn’t the enemy. Destroying old or weak bone cells to make way fro stronger new bone is crucial for healthy bone. Without remodeling, even dense bone wouldn’t be healthy bone.  In fact, many people who suffer fractures as a result of minor trauma have bones with normal but poor bone quality.

The breakdown of bone take space relatively quickly, and the better part of each 120-day remodeling cycle is devoted to synthesizing new bone. Many chemicals in your body signals the starting and stopping of resorption and formation, including thyroid and parathyroid hormones, growth hormone, estrogen and testosterone and others.

The rate at which bone is made and broken down is also effected by calcium intake and your body’s usage of it once it has it, and the amount of stress placed on the bone. When your body gets too many green lights for remodeling, yoy may get a quickening of the pace at which bone is formed, but it won’t be enough to keep up with the increase in breakdown.

That is just what happens with the drop in estrogen in menopause, or with any condition that entails an imbalance of hormones. Lack of calcium, too, can signal bone remodeling, perhaps prematurely. In addition, rapid turnover of bone cells usually yields bone of low quality, even if the quantity is normal. That’s why, once again, this book is designed not just to build bone but to build and maintain healthy bone.

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Some people have it for years, but they just don’t know what it is. In fact , just about  anyone who uses his hands repetitively with the wrists bent can develop carpal tunnel syndrome.

It hits webmasters, carpenters,musicians, painters, typists and meat packers, auto workers, gardeners, etc. Carpal tunnel results from too much crowding in too little space.

It occurs when tendons in the wrist become inflamed and swell up, compressing the median nerve, a major nerve that leads from the arm into the fingers.

Here are some remedies that can help healing or prevent the carpat syndrome:

Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is the top suggested remedies. Some studies do indicate that, at least for some people, vitamin B6 can improve symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. A dose of 200 milligrams of vitamin B6 a day can help people who suffer from carpat syndrome. But some other doctors speculate that carpat tunnel syndrome is actually B6 deficiency related nerve damaged, and that taking higher than normal doses of the vitamin corrects the deficiency.

More exercise
Exercises that flex or strengthen the wrist or that stimulate circulation to the hands also win a few votes.

The sport connection
There is no doubt that carpat tunnel syndrome can be aggravated by some sports. Many patients develop this condition as a result of weight lifting. It is pretty common if the hands tend to be cocked back while someone is lifting weights. In some cases, getting guidance from a sport medicine specialist may be in order.

Rest playes a role
A good thing to do if you have carpat tunnel syndrome is to rest the wrists. In fact, several people who do exercises for their  disease also use rest when appropriate.

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