We agree

[Savbing]

I think we all agree that we are concerned about pharmaceuticals.

Supplements, namely calcium, vit d and k, magnesium and omega 3 are good for all of us.

Weighted vests are something to look into.

A good diet is important.

Exercise is also recommended.

Should we be doing forward bends?

[HeronNS]

At a bones clinic I went to at our hospital we were shown how to crouch low to avoid bending our back, so I think advice is to avoid bending forward, especially if your spine shows low bone mass.

You move down as though you are going to sit down. Somehow this adjusts the centre of gravity so that you aren't stressing your knees either.

Didn't someone post a little video about how to do this some months ago?

[LynneH-19 in reply to HeronNS]

Hi Heron and Bev

We do this ‘sitting down’ movement at Pilates. I volunteer in a wildlife hospital and find this move particularly useful for picking up skippers containing critters, off the lower shelf in the room I work in.

There’s very little room around each one, so it’s a case of putting a hand flat to each side of the container and lifting it out towards me, without spilling the water bowl, or distressing the occupant, which could be a carrion crow, then still keeping my back straight, using my legs to stand up to place the skipper on a table. I then have to clean out and medicate the occupant, so I need it as calm as possible.

At Pilates we have recently started practicing the hinge.

I haven’t quite mastered it yet, but I was told it’s a very useful movement when you are weeding in the garden. We were shown a picture of ladies working in the fields all day, out east and using this position.

You bend forward from the hip, keeping the back straight, into a tabletop position, then holding this back position, you bend your knees to achieve the height required for the job in hand.

Best wishes to you both.

[Messyme17 in reply to LynneH-19]

I have done, what I think they now call, the hip hinge for a long time as have always had back pain before my fractures were discovered. I love my gardening too much not to do this. Feels comfortable.

[HeronNS]

osteoporosis.ca/bone-health...

[Bev53-SB in reply to HeronNS]

Thank you for this link, it is a really informative site and the exercise advice is very good. There is also good information in the UK NOS publication this month about how to ‘hinge’.

[Viazoy]

Problem is I was doing all of this plus more. A very careful bone-conscious diet with the supplements you mention, as well as bone-targeted exercise! But the osteoporosis was relentless.

Actually the Prolia was helping slow the bone loss. Problem was when change of doctors at medical center brought about delay -- and just a few weeks of delay and the fractures occurred. Drug company is not adequately warning about this in my opinion so I want to get the word out.

[HeronNS in reply to Viazoy]

That's shocking it happened so quickly. I know denosumab seemed to be very promising because it was so effective in improving bone density. But now that this awful result is known it is imperative that doctors and their patients be told the full risks. By the way, if your osteoporosis was proceeding relentlessly were you fully checked to find out whether there was some specific cause? I know that someone has posted about a similar situation, either here or on the Patient forum and it turned out to be an issue with her parathyroid which, once discovered and treated, halted the bone thinning. I'm sorry I don't know any more about this, but if you've been eating right and getting your exercise, etc, etc, it does seem possible that something else might be going on.