Learn about prevention, treatment for osteoporosis


Dealing with osteoporosis is the thrust of a free talk at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 20 at the Baptist East/Milestone Wellness Center, 750 Cypress Station Drive near Mall St. Matthews.

A pair of experts will address “Osteoporosis: Boning Up on a Crippler” in this Welcome to Wellness health series talk.

Nurse Practitioner Vaughn Milnac will cover diagnosis of osteoporosis, medications and diet while Physical Therapist Mary Plunkett will focus on exercise and posture.

Osteoporosis is the most common type of bone disease, with 10 million American men and women currently suffering from the disease and another 18 million with low bone mass.

The disease is characterized by the thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density over time. Osteoporosis is caused when the body fails to produce enough new bone, or reabsorbs too much of the old bone back into the body. Calcium and phosphate are essential vitamins for bone health.

During youth, the body sucks up these nutrients to create new bone. As people age, changing hormones, lack of calcium intake, or some medications can cause the body to look for nutrients elsewhere. It is forced to reabsorb old bone into itself, making bones thin and brittle.

Often patients do not know they have osteoporosis until they suffer a fracture. The key to osteoporosis treatment is prevention.

For more information, or to register for the free talk, call the Baptist East Information Center at (502) 897-8131.