10 Ways to Protect Your Feet from Osteoporosis

17 May 10 Ways to Protect Your Feet from Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a disease that makes your bones weak and more likely to break due to loss of calcium. With 26 bones in each of your feet, this is a disease that we at Great Neck Family Foot Care believe is important to educate our patients about. In fact, unexplained stress fractures in the feet can be a sign of osteoporosis.

The pain of a stress fracture may not be severe and can be constant or come and go depending on activity. That’s why it’s important to bring any pain in your foot to the attention of one of our podiatrists, Dr. Alec Hochstein or Dr. Diana Gagliano either in our office or through a home visit. Our foot doctors will be able to diagnose your pain and prescribe the correct treatment.

Fortunately, there is much that you can do to help prevent osteoporosis before any breaks occur. Here are 10 simple ways recommended by the National Osteoporosis Foundation to help protect your bones:

1. Get more calcium in your diet: milk, yogurt, cheese and certain green vegetables such as bok choy and kale are all good sources.
2. Consider a calcium supplement if your diet doesn’t provide an adequate amount (your doctor can tell you what your daily intake should be).
3. Make sure you are also getting enough vitamin D, which helps your body absorb calcium.
4. Choose juices, cereals and other products that are fortified with calcium and Vitamin D.
5. Walk, dance, hike or do other weight-bearing exercises.
6. Find out from your doctor if you should have a bone density test.
7. Eat a well-balanced diet, which include 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day—obesity can increase the risk of bone fractures from osteoporosis.
8. Add muscle-strengthening or resistance exercises to your fitness routine.
9. Don’t smoke.
10. Limit alcohol to no more than 3 drinks per day.

If you have questions about the health of your bones or other ways to be proactive about your podiatric health, contact our Great Neck office by calling: 516-482-5999.