On this page: Prevent the Next Fracture - Pharmacist Guide | Osteoporosis News | Exercise for Osteoporosis | Healthy Eating - Calcium

Osteoporosis News - March 2008
The Mudgee seminar held on the 21st February was a resounding success. Over 80 people attended, which is an all time record for a regional seminar. Four speakers gave the audience a wealth of information on how they could look after their bones, no matter what their age. We received excellent feedback from people who had osteoporosis as well as those who were just interested in learning more. The speakers who contributed to the day were
Chloe Radcliffe, Dietician
Anna Tracey, Physiotherapist
Malcolm Henriques, Pharmacist
Janine Dawson, Educator

The driving force behind the seminar was one of our members, Dorothy Munns who worked tirelessly to spread the word and encourage attendance. We would also like to thank Club Mudgee for providing their beautiful auditorium and extremely helpful staff, free of charge.  
Dorothy is now keen to set up a branch in Mudgee for people with osteoporosis and/or arthritis. She received considerable interest as a result of the seminar, but anyone who missed the seminar who is interested in joining the branch, can contact Melissa or Janine on 1800 242 141 for meeting details.   

The next seminar is to be held at Chatswood in the Dougherty Centre. Speakers for the day include an endocrinologist, dietician and exercise physiologist. We have already had an overwhelming response from our members who are keen to attend. As numbers are limited, we suggest you call us to secure your seats and so avoid disappointment. Full details of both seminars are on the Events page or just click on the above link.

Janine Dawson
Osteoporosis Educator

Osteoporosis NSW is an activity of Arthritis NSW committed to the prevention,diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis, a condition where your bones become fragile and brittle and fracture more easily than normal bones. Our aim is to increase awareness and understanding amongst the general public, GPs and other health professionals.

For more information on Osteoporosis, we suggest you visit the Education section - click here or on the graphic at right to go straight to the information pages for Osteoporosis.

Philip Hopkin, CEO of Arthritis NSW, says: "We are grateful for funding from Osteoporosis Australia which enables us to provide services, man our helpline to assist people to get more information about osteoporosis.”

Donations and gifts from members of the public, companies and corporations also help us continue our research and assist us to provide you with quality information. If you would like to make a donation to Osteoporosis NSW please go to the Gifts section of the Arthritis NSW website.

What do we offer our members? Our services include

• a toll-free advice line which gives assistance and up to date information to callers
• free brochures and booklets for consumers, GPs, pharmacists and other health professionals
• consumer information sheets in 5 languages
• a quarterly newsletter to members of Osteoporosis NSW, as well as Osteoblast, a national magazine issued 3 times a year which provides members with information of a more medical nature
• a range of books, exercise DVDs and kits which are available for purchase

JOIN NOW!

Community education seminars are held on a regular basis throughout Sydney and in large rural centres. These events are always popular and well attended. You'll find information on these in the Events Calendar.

A Health Professional program takes the form of breakfasts where expert speakers talk on their area of specialty. Health Professionals should check the Health Professionals section of the Arthritis NSW website for information.

Two events during the year gain particular attention. Healthy Bones Week tends to focus on the education of school children, while World Osteoporosis Day concentrates on improving the awareness of adults to bone health - do check the Events Calendar for more information.

Prevent the Next Fracture - Pharmacist Guide

Pharmacists and their staff are uniquely placed in the community to provide information and advice on health care to older people.

Pharmacists can help identify those at risk of Osteoporosis or already diagnosed through awareness of risk factors and asking some simple questions concerning previous fractures, height loss, steroid use and more. They will then know whether to advise their client to seek medical attention and advise on treatment options and lifestyle measures, helping to prevent first fractures and preventing the cascade effect of further fragility fractures.

This guide is based on a review of current evidence and research. Please call us for your free copy.

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Exercise for Osteoporosis

(Information taken from Stop the next fracture: Consumer Guide – managing osteoporosis. Produced by Osteoporosis Australia)

Exercise helps to build and maintain strong bones, prevent falls and fractures and speed rehabilitation.

Regular physical activity on a long term basis has a particularly important role in maintaining healthy bones. Exercise can maintain and increase bone strength by increasing bone mass or by slowing age-related bone loss. Muscle strength is also increased, which is important for supporting the joints and preventing falls.

Exercise has also been shown to improve co-ordination and balance, which helps to prevent falls and to improve general physical health and well being.

Be aware that any positive gains in bone strength are lost when you stop exercising, so it is important that your exercise is regular and ongoing

Caution: Someone who has established osteoporosis (one or more fractures) may not be able to do as many types of activities as someone without osteoporosis. Talk to your doctor and physiotherapist about activities you can do.

Exercise tips for strong bones

These tips are if you DON’T have osteoporosis

• To have an effect on bone, exercise needs to be regular, fairly vigorous, have variety and include short intense bursts
• The amount and type of exercise will vary depending on your age and bone health. Overall, most people should aim to exercise for 30-40 minutes, four to six times each week, and include some weight bearing and resistance exercises in the program. You can build up to this level over time
• Start slowly and progress gradually. Try to get into an exercise routine. You can break it up into several smaller amounts throughout the day
• Set short term goals for what you want to achieve. They must be realistic, achievable and measurable. For example, adding 50 jumps to your regular walk over a 3 month period
• The process of bone building is slow, it starts to happen as soon as you start regular exercise but it takes at least 6 months to be able to measure the effects
• Good exercises for bones: fast walking, jogging, dancing, tennis, volleyball and lifting weights. Choose exercises that you enjoy and vary your program to keep it interesting
• If you are having pain while exercising, stop and talk to your doctor or physiotherapist

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Healthy Eating - Calcium

(Information taken from Stop the next fracture: Consumer Guide – managing osteoporosis. Produced by Osteoporosis Australia)

Calcium is essential for building and maintaining bone. It combines with other minerals to form the hard crystals that give bone its strength. Almost all the body’s calcium is found in bones. When you are not getting sufficient amounts of calcium in your diet, some of the calcium crystals dissolve and give their calcium back to the bloodstream to compensate for this lack of calcium. So bones act like a calcium bank, storing calcium and releasing it into the blood stream when needed.

Because our bodies cannot make calcium, it must come form our diets. So if your calcium intake is too low and there are more withdrawals than deposits from your calcium bone bank, you risk losing bone strength.

Calcium absorption may also be reduced by excessive caffeine and alcohol, soft drinks containing phosphates and diets high in animal proteins. As well, calcium is continually lost form your body each day through your skin and nails, sweat and urine.

Food sources of calcium
For most Australians, dairy foods are the main source of calcium. Dairy foods are the most convenient way to obtain adequate calcium because milk, yoghurt and most cheeses are high in calcium. Small amounts of calcium are found in nuts, breads, cereals, fruits and vegetables. Three servings of dairy products each day will generally provide you with the recommended daily calcium intake of 1000 – 1300mg/day.

For more information about:

• Recommended daily calcium intake
• Practical tips for getting more calcium
• Calcium supplements

Call us on 1800 242 141 for a free copy of “Stop the next fracture”

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