Bones help in movement and provide shape and support to the body. Bones are living tissues that are supplied with nerves and blood vessels and are continually being rebuilt. Bones are made up of a resilient protein framework that is strengthened by phosphate and calcium deposits. During childhood the rate of bone building is faster than bone loss but after the age of 20 the rate at which the bones rebuild becomes slower and keeps getting slower as the body ages, thus making the human body more susceptible to bone disorders. Inclusion of sufficient calcium and vitamin D in your diet and regular exercising can keep bones healthy. Apart from nutritional deficiencies some bone disorders are also caused due to hormonal factors as well as certain long term disorders.
Some of the bone disorders are:
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is very common in women above the age of 40. This bone disorder makes the bones weak, thus making them brittle. Certain medication, family history, and low bone density are some of the factors that may lead to osteoporosis. Poor diet, smoking and alcohol intake can increase the risk of this bone disorders. Osteoporosis has no symptoms as such and one might not be able to detect it until a bone is fractured. A bone mineral density test can be done to diagnose osteoporosis.
Osteomalacia and rickets
Osteomalacia and rickets are bone disorders caused due to lack of vitamin D. While osteomalacia is common in adults, rickets develops in children. Vitamin D is very essential for the absorption of calcium and phosphate that provide strength to the bones, hence, due to its deficiency the bones become weak and fragile.
Arthritis
Arthritis is a bone disorder that causes pain and inflammation along with a feeling of stiffness in one or more joints. There are various types of arthritis but the most common form is osteoarthritis in which the cartilage covering the bone-ends within joints degenerates gradually. It is more common in the knee and hip joints.
Some other bone disorders are:
- Fractures
- Dislocated joints
- Cervical spondylosis
- Joint pain
