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Diet & Nutrition

Is Alcohol Good or Bad for Your Bones?

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

So you enjoy a glass of wine or two with dinner, the occasional cold beer with friends, or a fancy cocktail at social gatherings…

But have you ever wondered how alcohol might affect your bone health?

After all, research shows that once you hit age 40, you lose about 1% of your bone density a year. This is especially concerning for women who are at increased risk of developing osteoporosis — a condition where bones become weak and prone to fracture.

Does this mean you have to give up your glass of wine with dinner? Well, it depends on whether you’re in the habit of having one glass or several…

As you can imagine, chronic heavy drinking is bad news for your bones.

Alcohol must be detoxified by the liver, and too many wipes out the liver’s supply of glutathione — the body’s most important antioxidant. This destroys the liver’s ability to eliminate not just alcohol, but everything else it needs to clear… a situation that ramps up inflammation in the body.

This affects your bones because chronic, low-grade inflammation sends your osteoclasts (the specialized cells that break down bone) into overdrive. And since building new bone takes much longer than breaking down old bone, too much osteoclast activity results in bone thinning and, ultimately, osteoporosis.

So it’s not surprising that excessive alcohol consumption has been repeatedly associated with low bone mineral density (BMD), elevated markers of bone resorption (bone breakdown), and increased risk of fragility fractures.

But before you say goodbye to your favorite Shiraz, there’s some good news too…

Recent research shows that moderate alcohol consumption actually supports bone health and lowers your risk of hip fracture.

In this study, researchers collected data on a large number of people over a 34-year period:

  • 75,180 women aged 53 on average when the study began
  • 38,398 men aged 50 or older when the study began

 

Compared to no alcohol intake, low to moderate alcohol consumption was associated with a significantly lower risk of hip fracture!

Now, it’s worth noting the results from observational studies need to be taken with a grain of salt because other factors could be at play. For example, in this instance, people who have a glass of wine a day might also follow a Mediterranean diet or walk more. So these factors could also contribute to their reduced risk of fracture. Nonetheless, these initial findings are promising…

But what do the researchers mean by “low to moderate” alcohol intake?

No more than 20 grams of ethanol (alcohol) per day for women and 30 grams per day for men.

To put that in perspective, here’s the ethanol content of various types of alcoholic beverages:

  • 12.4 grams for a 4-oz glass of red wine
  • 12.1 grams for a 4-oz glass of white wine
  • 13.9 grams for a 12-oz glass of regular beer
  • 13.1 grams for a 12-oz glass of light beer
  • 14.0 grams for 1.5-oz shot of liquor

 

As you can see, there’s no need to give up your glass of wine with dinner! In fact, one glass a day may be just what the doctor ordered.

But why is moderate alcohol intake good for your bones?

In women, moderate alcohol consumption boosts estrogen and has been associated with reduced bone resorption. This makes sense as estrogen slows the rate of bone remodeling after menopause.

Wine, particularly red wine, is especially beneficial due to its phenol content. (Phenols are compounds that affect the taste and color of wine!) Studies show that certain flavonoids, a type of phenol present in wine, promote the creation of osteoblasts (the specialized cells that build bone), and inhibit the creation of osteoclasts. What’s more, higher phenol intake has been associated with higher BMD.

So not to worry, you can toast the health of your bones with a moderate amount of alcohol. Just make sure you keep the guidelines I shared above in mind!

Author bio:

Lara Pizzorno, MDIV, MA, LMT

Lara is the best-selling author of “Your Bones: How You Can Prevent Osteoporosis and Have Strong Bones for Life – Naturally”. She’s also a member of the American Medical Writers Association with 30+ years of experience and the Resident Bone Health Expert at AlgaeCal.

 

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Senior woman in kitchen at home, looking at camera
Diet & Nutrition

New Research on Probiotics and Bone Health

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

I have good news for anyone who enjoys probiotic foods…

Your bones may be stronger for it!

As you may know, probiotics are helpful bacteria that boost your immune system, guard your gut against harmful invaders, and more. You can find them in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir (fermented milk), and even pickles.

And new research reveals a certain probiotic strain may help protect against bone loss.

Swedish scientists reported their surprising findings in the Journal of Internal Medicine. It was the first-ever human study of this particular probiotic’s effects on bone density…

A First-Of-Its-Kind Investigation

The scientists followed 70 osteopenic women, who were on average 76 years old, for an entire year. Half the women received lactobacillus reuteri 6475 (l. reuteri 6475), a special probiotic strain. The other half received a placebo.

The women taking l. reuteri 6475 mixed it into a drink and consumed it twice a day. Note that there were no significant differences in the baseline bone densities and other health readings between the two groups. And none of the participants took any bone loss medications.

The scientists measured changes in bone mineral density in each woman’s tibia (shin bone) after 12 months — and the results shocked them!

While both groups lost bone density, the placebo group lost nearly twice as much as the l. reuteri 6475 group.

This unique probiotic was the only difference between the two groups, and neither scientists nor the participants knew who was taking what — a gold-standard, double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial!

So even though this study was relatively small, the strength of the study design lends weight to its findings.

The Takeaway

Researchers already knew volumes about the amazing health benefits of probiotics, but could they also be a key ingredient for bone health? This new study suggests l. reuteri 6475, at the very least, could be!

Interestingly enough, the researchers couldn’t pinpoint the mechanism for why the probiotic bacteria reduced bone loss. So further research is needed…

But in the meantime, consider including some probiotics in your diet. Your bones may see a small benefit — and your digestion and immune health may benefit too!

Author bio: Lara Pizzorno, MDIV, MA, LMT

Lara is the best-selling author of “Your Bones: How You Can Prevent Osteoporosis and Have Strong Bones for Life – Naturally”. She’s also a member of the American Medical Writers Association with 30+ years of experience and the Resident Bone Health Expert at AlgaeCal.

 

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Exercise & Fitness

What’s better for bones: diet or exercise?

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger
Scientists may have found some clues to help answer an age-old question: What has a more positive impact on bones, diet or exercise?

Perhaps you’ve heard evidence for both these important habits. But a new University of Michigan (U-M) study got closer to a final answer.

To get this answer, researchers had to determine what effect diet alone, exercise alone, and then both diet and exercise together had on bone mineral content and density.

Researchers studied 16-week old mice and split them into various groups. Half got a control diet. The other half got an enriched diet with added calcium and phosphorus.

From there:

  • Some groups exercised for 8 weeks
  • Others didn’t at all
  • And still others exercised 30 minutes daily for 8 weeks, then stopped exercising for another 8 weeks.

 

In all, the researchers wanted to see whether diet or exercise made a greater difference in the mice’s bone density. And then, whether a combination of the two did even better. It’s important to know that at 16 weeks old, the mice were still expected to increase bone density regardless of treatment.

At the end of the study, here’s what the researchers found:

On average, the mice with the enriched diet saw greater increases in bone mineral density and strength compared to exercise mice alone. (In fact, mice who exercised only showed increases when they were on the enriched diet!) And the enriched diet mice saw greater increases versus the control diet mice too.

But the largest increases were in the group with the enriched diet who exercised for 8 weeks and then stopped exercising for the next 8!

Amazingly, the enriched-diet mice maintained their increases even through the 8 weeks of non-exercise. That means the enriched diet alone kept up the increases— no exercise needed!

These results even shocked the researchers. David Kohn, professor in the schools of dentistry and engineering at U-M, didn’t think diet alone would yield the results it did. Kohn believed a control diet with regular exercise would win out.

And sure, this was an animal study. But as Kohn himself said, “… if you think about the progression to humans, diet is easier for someone to carry on as they get older and stop exercising, rather than the continuation of exercise itself.”

Why You Shouldn’t Be Surprised…

Now, human studies have also proved that nutrition alone can improve bone health. In fact, nutrition alone increased bone density for 7 consecutive years, even in folks in their mid-80s!

Just like in the U-M mouse study, the participants in the 7-year human study used calcium and phosphorus to build their new bone too. But it took another 11 minerals and 3 vitamins to see consistent increases year over year.

Please note: All this isn’t to say you should stop exercising. Far from it. Exercise- particularly the weight-bearing kind- helps strengthen your bone and give you greater balance to reduce falls. And as you saw from the new study, the initial 8 weeks of exercise combined with a bone-building diet produced the best results.

By Dean Neuls

Dean Neuls is the Co-Founder and CEO of AlgaeCal. He is a natural health author and student of bone health science who is passionate about helping people & bettering lives.

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How Home Care Can Help 6 Common Physical Difficulties
Caregiving

How Home Care Can Help 6 Common Physical Difficulties

by Richard Bitner
written by Richard Bitner

Growing older almost always comes with physical difficulties. When those challenges arise, many seniors lean on non-medical home care providers. Caregivers help seniors live more comfortably, manage existing conditions, and limit the risk of injury or illness related to their physical concerns. How Home Care Can Help 6 Common Physical Difficulties
At Visiting Angels, our home care providers, regularly assist seniors with physical disabilities, challenges, and concerns. Below, we’ve listed six of the most common physical difficulties faced by seniors, along with how home care can help.

Lack of Mobility

Poor mobility in seniors can be caused by loss of muscle mass, poor bone density, and joint problems, among other reasons. For some seniors, a lack of mobility simply means difficulty walking. For others, it may mean that getting around is only possible via a wheelchair or scooter.

Home care workers are experienced in assisting seniors with mobility issues. Caregivers can lend a steadying hand when walking, watch over seniors to ensure they are safe when moving around, and assist seniors with tasks they find difficult to perform.

Frailty

When growing older, it is natural that seniors lose strength. Frailty not only makes day-to-day life more difficult for seniors, it also puts them at serious health risks. Frailty can increase the risk of injury or illness, and can exacerbate the negative effects of a health event.

Home care providers assist frail seniors in a number of ways. We make daily living easier by performing tasks that frail seniors find difficult. We help seniors stay safe by limiting the risk of falls in the home. And we help seniors maintain their strength by encouraging healthy habits.

Heart Disease

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in American seniors, claiming almost half a million lives every year. According to the CDC, heart disease affects approximate 37% of senior men and 26% of senior women.
For seniors suffering from heart disease, home care workers offer non-medical assistance and support to help them manage their condition. This includes preparing heart-healthy meals, encouraging light exercise, and helping seniors avoid situations and activities that place undue strain on their cardiovascular health.

Arthritis

Roughly half of all American seniors are coping with some form of arthritis. While many seniors are able to manage their condition through medications, natural remedies, and pain management strategies, the fact remains that arthritis can seriously inhibit quality of life.

When caring for seniors with arthritis, caregivers plan care around seniors’ joint pain and physical limitations. Care often involves assistance with joint-stressing tasks, such as those that require fine motor skills. Caregivers can also help clients manage joint pain using non-medical strategies, like hot and cold treatments.

Diabetes

About a quarter of American seniors cope with diabetes, which carries significant risks for seniors. Complications from diabetes can lead to quality of life complications for seniors and carry major health risks.

Non-medical home care providers can help seniors with diabetes in a number of ways. At Visiting Angels, our caregivers often remind seniors to check their blood sugar levels so that they can keep tabs on their condition. We can also prepare meals that are rich in protein and low in carbohydrates, and we can encourage healthy habits like light exercise.

Osteoporosis

As we grow older, it becomes harder and harder to maintain healthy bones. Seniors affected by osteoporosis are at significant risk of fractures, which can be devastating for older adults. Loss of bone mass can also lead to limited strength and mobility, making day-to-day life more difficult on seniors.

Fall prevention and injury prevention are a big part of home care for those with osteoporosis. Caregivers help limit the risk of falls around the home and perform tasks for seniors when those tasks could pose an injury risk. Caregivers also help seniors practice a bone-healthy lifestyle, encouraging light exercise and planning a diet high in calcium, protein, and vitamin D.

Do you have an older loved one who is suffering from physical difficulties? If so, Visiting Angels can help. Contact your local office today to learn more about our services or to schedule a free care consultation in the comfort of your loved one’s home.

How Home Care Can Help 6 Common Physical Difficulties

How Home Care Can Help 6 Common Physical Difficulties How Home Care Can Help 6 Common Physical Difficulties How Home Care Can Help 6 Common Physical Difficulties How Home Care Can Help 6 Common Physical Difficulties How Home Care Can Help 6 Common Physical DifficultiesHow Home Care Can Help 6 Common Physical Difficulties

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Diet & Nutrition

Sleep Your Way to Better Bones

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

Did you know that most bone-building happens while you’re sleeping?

That’s right! Good quality sleep during the night is crucial for building strong, healthy bones — and avoiding osteoporosis.

How can that be? Well, it all starts with your circadian rhythm… which is basically your 24-hour internal clock.

You have circadian rhythms that regulate all kinds of things inside your body, like your eating habits, hormone releases, body temperature fluctuations, and others. One of the most important is your sleep-wake cycle (the time you spend sleeping vs. being awake).

All of these different circadian rhythms are kept in sync by a master clock in your suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) — a cluster of about 20,000 nerve cells located in the part of your brain called the hypothalamus.

Think of your SCN as a conductor of an orchestra who keeps all of your individual clocks running to a uniform beat.

You also have clock genes that are part of your circadian rhythm — and just about every cell in your body has them, including osteoclasts (cells that break down bone) and osteoblasts (cells that form new bone). The clock genes involved in your sleep-wake cycle work closely with a hormone you’ve probably heard of, and that’s melatonin. It makes you feel sleepy, but it also does something else, and that’s helping your body with bone formation and healthy bone metabolism.

Let’s take a quick trip inside your body to see how it all works…

At night when it gets dark, your eyes signal your SCN that it’s time to start feeling drowsy. Then your SCN signals for the production of melatonin, and you climb into bed and drift off to sleep. This is where your bone-building action comes alive… Communicating with your clock genes, melatonin helps suppress the development of osteoclasts, and helps form osteoblasts. What’s more, it increases the activity of bone turnover markers (the essential enzymes and proteins associated with bone-building).

When you stop and think about how much is happening inside your bones while you’re sleeping, it’s easy to see how harmful sleep disorders can be. A large-scale Norwegian study evaluated 24,715 people and discovered that those with insomnia had a 52% increased risk for osteoporosis!

Night shift workers also commonly suffer from poor bone health, and it’s easy to see why. Their natural sleep-wake circadian rhythm is flipped completely upside down! Research shows that working at night and sleeping during the day disrupts the delicate balance of nighttime bone repair and formation and leads to lower bone density. And napping? Daytime napping can also increase your risk of fracturing a bone by shifting your circadian rhythm and interfering with your 24-hour sleep-wake cycle.

So now that you’ve seen how sleep disorders and imbalances can impair your bone health, how can you make sure you’re getting enough uninterrupted quality sleep to protect your bones?

There are few things you can do… Keep the same bedtime and waking times. Make sure your bedroom is cool, quiet, and dark. Consider a natural sleeping aid to help you get the recommended amount of sleep you need: the sweet spot is about 7–9 hours. And nix the nap. That way, your 24-hour sleep-wake cycle will run smoothly — just like clockwork. And your bones will thank you!

By Dean Neuls

Dean Neuls is the Co-Founder and CEO of AlgaeCal. He is a natural health author and student of bone health science who is passionate about helping people & bettering lives.

 

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Conditions & Treatments

Scary Link Between Fractures and Fatalities

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

You’ve probably heard how a hip fracture can change your life in the blink of an eye. In fact, nearly 1 in 4 people pass away within a year of fracturing a hip.

The International Osteoporosis Foundation reports more bleak numbers: 40% of hip fracture patients can no longer walk without help; a full 60% require assistance within a year; and 1 in 3 lose their independence and end up in an assisted living facility by year’s end.

Yet the largest study of its kind shows any fracture after age 45 can mean the worst…

Scary Link Between Fractures and Fatality

Researchers at the University of Sydney’s Kolling Institute of Bone and Joint Research discovered an unsettling truth. They followed 238,673 people aged 45+ with an average age of 63, and they surveyed these folks between 2006 and 2013.

Here’s what the lead researcher Dr. Lyn March and her team discovered…

15.7 men died for every 1,000 person-years in the study. And 7.9 women died in every 1,000 person-years. (1,000 “person-years” is a common measurement in a study of this size to show the frequency of some event.)

But that’s not the surprising part. This is: The death rate more than doubled in the people who first fractured a bone! In this case, 33 men and 19 women died for every 1,000 person-years!

Now, you might think hip fractures were responsible for most of these fatalities. But the researchers found all fractures (aside from fingers and toes) increased subjects’ risk of dying.

Dr. March said it best herself:

“Common fractures like spinal fractures that cause older people to stoop over, arm, collarbone and wrist fractures from a simple fall, or pelvic fractures from a trip on the stairs or a slip on the ice all increase the risk of the sufferer dying in the next few years.”

As you can see, fragile bones are often a precursor to bigger problems. In fact, low bone density is responsible for 1 in every 3 fall-related deaths!

This isn’t overly surprising… I mean, your bones are literally the foundation that keep you together! So weak bones can’t withstand daily strains like walking, jogging, or even falling like healthy bones can.

2 Simple Ways To Protect Yourself

So what’s the best thing to do to support your foundation? Well, strengthening it of course.

The first way to protect yourself is by exercising to keep your bones strong and healthy! Follow this link for a comprehensive list of bone-strengthening exercises.

And you can do more than exercise to protect yourself too. The second action you can take is going through this Fall Prevention Checklist to make sure your environment is as safe as possible.

Keep safe, keep strong, and be good to your bones!

By Dean Neuls
Dean Neuls is the Co-Founder and CEO of AlgaeCal. He is a natural health author and student of bone health science who is passionate about helping people & bettering lives.

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Home Care for Osteoporosis
Conditions & Treatments

Home Care for Osteoporosis

by Richard Bitner
written by Richard Bitner

As we grow older, bone health becomes increasingly important. That’s especially true for seniors coping with osteoporosis and those at high risk of developing it. If you provide home care for a family member who is dealing with osteoporosis, it’s important that you know how to manage the difficulties and risks of this condition. Home Care for Osteoporosis

To help, the team at Visiting Angels has put together this short guide to home care for osteoporosis. In it, we’ve included many of the same guidelines that our professional caregivers follow when caring for seniors with osteoporosis. We hope you’ll find this information useful in caring for your own family member. Home Care for Osteoporosis

Understanding Osteoporosis

Caring for someone with osteoporosis starts with understanding their condition. Osteoporosis is a condition where a person loses bone tissue, causing bones to become weaker and more fragile. Weaker bones can make day-to-day activities difficult, and it greatly increases the likelihood of bone fracture.

This condition has three main causes: hormonal changes (usually due to old age), calcium deficiency, and vitamin D deficiency. Osteoporosis can be triggered by just one of these causes, or by a combination of them. Osteoporosis cannot be cured, but it can be managed. Home Care for Osteoporosis

Your best resource for managing your loved one’s osteoporosis will be your loved one’s doctor. Always follow doctor’s orders when caring for your loved one and never be afraid to ask questions about how you can improve your loved one’s care.

Fall & Fracture Prevention

The greatest concern when caring for someone with osteoporosis is the risk of fall or fracture. As a home care provider for a senior with osteoporosis, you can reduce their risk of falling by improving the safety of your loved one’s home environment.

To reduce the risk of fall and fracture, eliminate tripping and slipping hazards. Keep electrical cords out of the way, eliminate clutter, and install non-slip stickers on slippery tile floors. Install grab bars next to the toilet and in the shower. Improve visibility by installing new lights — particularly near steps and stairs. And encourage your loved one to wear footwear with non-slip soles.

Boosting Protein, Calcium & Vitamin D Intake

Osteoporosis cannot be reversed, but it’s possible to slow down the rate of bone tissue loss. You can do this by ensuring that your loved one gets the nutrients he or she needs to maintain strong bones, including high intake of protein, calcium, and vitamin D.

As a home care provider, you can help your loved one live a bone-healthy lifestyle by shopping for groceries, planning meals, and preparing food. Consider including the following calcium-rich and protein-rich foods in your loved one’s diet:

Calcium-Rich Foods

  • Low-fat dairy products
  • Broccoli
  • Cabbage
  • Tofu and soy products
  • Nuts
  • Supplements* (if diet alone is not enough)

 

Protein-Rich Foods

  • Eggs
  • Salmon
  • Chicken
  • Tofu and soy products
  • Nuts

Your loved one can soak up some vitamin D by spending 30 to 45 minutes enjoying the sun each day.

Lifestyle & Osteoporosis Care

Lifestyle plays a major role in osteoporosis care. There are significant steps that you and your loved one can take to manage the symptoms and risks of osteoporosis and to slow its rate of advancement. Many of these lifestyle suggestions also carry a range of further benefits for your loved one’s health.

Three of the most common lifestyle changes suggested for those with osteoporosis are related to weight, smoking, and drinking. Seniors who are underweight or overweight are at increased risk of fracture, and it is recommended that seniors pursue a healthy weight to reduce the chance of broken bones.
While it’s always a good idea to cut back on smoking and excessive drinking, this is especially true for seniors with osteoporosis. Smoking can drastically speed up bone tissue loss. Meanwhile, alcohol is linked to bone loss and can increase the risk of falls.

Regular light exercise also plays a big role in managing osteoporosis. Light exercise increases bone strength and improves coordination, reducing the likelihood of trips and slips that could lead to fracture. Walking, gardening and tai chi are all good exercises for bone health.

Professional Osteoporosis Home Care

If you need a helping hand caring for your loved one or are worried about leaving them on their own during the day, you might want to consider professional home care. Professional in-home care, such as the services offered by your local Visiting Angels, can make it easier to look after a family member who is coping with osteoporosis and encourage a bone-healthy lifestyle.

For a free home care consultation, contact your local Visiting Angels office.
* Before taking supplements, please consult with your loved one’s doctor.

Home Care for Osteoporosis

Home Care for Osteoporosis

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Conditions & Treatments

Overlooked Link Between Stroke and Osteoporosis

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

Did you know stroke is a risk factor for falls, fractures, and even osteoporosis?

It’s true! Research shows you’re 4x more likely to suffer a fracture in the year after a stroke than your average person.

And another study found patients lost up to 14% hip bone density in the year after stroke!

Now, if you think about it, this makes sense. After a stroke, you may have difficulty moving around. You may favor one leg. Struggle with your balance. You probably won’t get right back on your regular exercise schedule…

And the less you move, the more your bone density pays the price.

So, you’d think screening for osteoporosis would be a logical part of post-stroke medical procedures, right? Sadly, it’s not.

Surprising Lack of Osteoporosis Screening After Stroke

A recent study looked at a sample of 16,581 patients aged 65+ from the Ontario Stroke Registry. Researchers investigated how many of these patients were screened for bone loss within a year of suffering a stroke.

The researchers found that just 845 people out of 16,581 were screened for bone mineral density post-stroke. That’s only 5% of patients!

And the stats were even worse for patients who’d never had a DEXA scan before— only 2.9% underwent screening.

What’s more, whether someone fractured a bone in the past didn’t affect their likelihood of getting a bone scan. That’s concerning because once you’ve broken a bone, your risk of breaking another bone goes up. And research tells us fractures lead to increased bone loss…

Yet, fracture history wasn’t a consideration for post-stroke bone density screening.

This isn’t an isolated issue either.

Experts estimate osteoporosis screening rates are below 27% in the general population for older American women. But screening post-stroke may be particularly low because few people recognize osteoporosis can be a consequence of stroke.

The US stroke guidelines do include osteoporosis as a complication, but they don’t provide any recommendations for testing or treatment— they just include fall prevention strategies.

Of course, fall prevention is important. (You can find a comprehensive fall prevention checklist here!)

But just sharing fall prevention strategies is like slapping a band-aid on a problem and hoping it doesn’t fall off…

The better course of action is to address the root cause of the problem. And you need to be aware of a problem in order to address it— which is why bone density screening post-stroke is so important!

That way, you can take measures to increase your bone density, reduce your risk of fracture, and avoid a fall.

So if you or someone you know suffers a stroke, make sure you ask for a bone density scan and monitor for osteoporosis in the years to come! Visit this page for a helpful guide to bone density scans.

By Dean Neuls

Dean Neuls is the Co-Founder and CEO of AlgaeCal. He is a natural health author and student of bone health science who is passionate about helping people & bettering lives.

 

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Senior adult practicing yoga by the pool
Exercise & Fitness

New Study Highlights the Importance of “Postural Sway”

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

Yes, low bone density can potentially lead to a fracture. But there’s another factor that can increase fracture risk by more than 10 times! It’s something called “postural sway.”

Below, I’ll explain what that is, how a new study shows it’s something to be concerned about, and — the good news! — what you can do to make it less of an issue.

What is Postural Sway?

Postural sway is basically how well you can maintain balance while “quiet standing” (not speaking or doing anything else).

That might sound pretty straightforward, but it’s not! Just standing still is the result of a complex relationship between your muscular and neurological systems. If they don’t work in perfect harmony with each other, your balance can be affected.

Medical professionals have many methods for measuring a person’s postural sway. But one of the most popular is called the Berg Balance Scale. This involves rating a patient’s stability while they stand still (with eyes open and closed) and do ordinary tasks like reaching and bending.

Unfortunately, as you age, your ability to maintain balance becomes weaker. That’s why falling and breaking a bone can be such a concern! In fact, a study from 2013 reported that falls are the number one cause of death for older people. And among those who suffer a hip fracture because of a fall, one in five will pass away within a year.

A New Study on the Role of Postural Sway

It’s because of statistics like these that researchers in Finland wanted to look into how much of a role severe postural sway plays in the risk of an osteoporotic fracture.

Their study followed 1,568 Finnish women between the ages of 53 and 65. The participants’ postural sway was measured with an electronic platform that detects body movement. The researchers then followed up with the women over several years.

The results showed that women with the highest postural sway and the lowest bone density were 11.8 times more likely to suffer an osteoporotic fracture. They were also 4.9 times more likely to experience a fracture for reasons not associated with osteoporosis.

The researchers concluded that high postural sway is a significant risk factor for bone fractures. And it becomes a greater risk when combined with low bone density.

I know, that may all seem pretty obvious! But it’s worth keeping in mind just how much more at risk of a fracture you are if you have high postural sway. And if you have low bone density on top of that, the risk is a lot greater…

What You Can Do to Reduce Fall Risk

Now, there are things you can do to decrease your chances of a fall — like clearing your home of tripping hazards and wearing shoes that provide good grip! Visit this page for a comprehensive Fall Prevention Checklist.

You can also reduce your risk of falling through exercise. In fact, there are many exercises specifically designed to improve balance. You can find a list of gentle, safe exercises for older adults here.

And if you’re concerned you might have high postural sway, be sure to ask your medical professional to schedule a test. It’s fast, easy, and will give you a better idea of how good your balance is!

By Dean Neuls
Dean Neuls is the Co-Founder and CEO of AlgaeCal. He is a natural health author and student of bone health science who is passionate about helping people & bettering lives.

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