The Musculoskeletal System And The Senior Citizen

The Geriatric Patient and the Musculoskeletal System Aging has an effect on the musculoskeletal system with most of the devastating damage being done to the bone and joints of the system.

The resultant damage creates pain and problems with mobility. Musculoskeletal disease is usually the culprit when the elderly are unable to function due to a decrease in mobility. Did you know that throughout your life your bones are replaced and remodeled? New cells replace old bone cells.

This is your body's way of adjusting to the stress you place on it over time. At least until around age 35 at which time bones cells tend to wear out faster than new ones can replace them. When this occurs we can experience a gradual bone loss. When the bone "mass" loss reaches a density of 2.5 standard deviations or more below the mean value for young adults the condition is referred to as "osteoporosis" according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The result of which is fragility of the bone with a greater risk for fracture upon even the mildest of trauma. Osteoporosis - What increases Your Risk For It: Loss of estrogen production such as that in menopausal women Age itself due to the loss of bone mass that happens naturally with advanced age

A diet poor in calcium Those who are inactive because it is through activity that bone is remodeled in response to the stresses we put on it through activity Using a high dose of corticosteroids over a period of 3 months or longer. Alcohol abuse and smoking.

Amenorrhea (lack of menstrual period in women) due to over-exercise. Family history of osteoporosis.

More information regarding Osteoporosis:

Fractures can also occur when one has osteoporosis without any obvious sign of trauma or pain. This can occur in the bones of the spine where the bones crush or collapse into each other which results in a height loss of up to several centimeters.

This will show itself in a hunched back posture, sometimes called humpback or dowager's hump. Other common fractures occur in the wrist or hip areas. The two forms of arthritis (osteoarthritis and rheumatoid) are common ailments in advanced age.

Rheumatoid is more common in women than it is in men. Osteoarthritis is the more common of the two. Affected areas of osteoarthritis most often affected are the knees and hips.  

100 Healthy Living Tips 6. Watch a comedy, or play your favorite movie. Be sure to choose a happy one, a movie that will make you smile or laugh out loud will do wonders for stress and depression. Watch reruns of I Love Lucy, Full House, or Three's Company, they will take you back to a happier time and lift depression. 7. Make yourself a cup of tea with lots of lemon.

Another musculoskeletal condition is known as "osteomalacia". It is when bone does not properly calcify and becomes soft and weak. The cause seems to be a problem with the metabolism of Vitamin D and can occur when there is gastrointestinal problems or kidney failure.

Gardening can be a great way to stay busy, as well as give us some exercise. If you don't have room for a garden of your own, could volunteer to help with someone elses garden. You could find some indoor plants for your home, and they will add a pleasant aroma to the air.

The condition can be exacerbated by lack of sun exposure because sunlight is needed to allow Vitamin D to be absorbed by the skin. Poor diet in vitamin D, renal disease and even anticonvulsants can contribute to the occurrence of osteomalacia.

Symptoms can be bone pain, weakness and tenderness as well as a "waddling gait" and some difficulty being able to get in and out of chairs as well as difficulty going up and down stairs.

Healthy Aging Issues Today

Warning: curl_setopt() [function.curl-setopt]: CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION cannot be activated when in safe_mode or an open_basedir is set in /home/beturhel/public_html/healthy-living-for-seniors/aging-rss2html.php on line 149
10/06/2008
VNA to administer flu shots at the Council on Aging in Port St. Lucie (Fort Pierce Tribune)
he Visiting Nurse's Association will provide flu shots at the Council on Aging on 2501 S.W. Bayshore Blvd. in Port St. Lucie from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today.

VNA to administer flu shots at the Council on Aging in Port St. Lucie (Fort Pierce Tribune)

10/06/2008
Aging Gracefully Inside and Out (Palatka Daily News)
(ARA) - Whether you've noticed the signs of aging in family and friends, or acknowledged how it affects your own mind and body, getting older is an unavoidable part of life.

Aging Gracefully Inside and Out (Palatka Daily News)

10/06/2008
Noted Geriatrician Named Aging Institute Deputy Director (National Institutes of Health)
Marie A. Bernard, M.D., a noted geriatrician and educator from the University of Oklahoma, has been named deputy director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), effective Oct. 12, 2008. Bernard brings exceptional skills and training as a physician, educator, administrator and investigator to the position at NIA, where she will take a major ...

Noted Geriatrician Named Aging Institute Deputy Director (National Institutes of Health)

10/06/2008
6 foods that ward off aging (Belleville News-Democrat)
There might not be a fountain of youth, but there might be a pantry of youth. People who stock up on the right foods can turn back the clock, according to Karen Ansel, a dietitian and author of "The Anti-Aging Diet" story in last month's Family Circle. Ditch red meat, full-fat dairy, soft drinks, cookies, cakes, white flour and fried and packaged foods, she advises. Add these to your diet instead:

6 foods that ward off aging (Belleville News-Democrat)

10/06/2008
6 foods that ward off aging (Belleville News-Democrat)
There might not be a fountain of youth, but there might be a pantry of youth. People who stock up on the right foods can turn back the clock, according to Karen Ansel, a dietitian and author of "The Anti-Aging Diet" story in last month's Family Circle. Ditch red meat, full-fat dairy, soft drinks, cookies, cakes, white flour and fried and packaged foods, she advises. Add these to your diet instead:

6 foods that ward off aging (Belleville News-Democrat)

10/06/2008
BAILOUT MUST GO HAND IN HAND WITH REFORM (Georgie Anne Geyer via Yahoo! News)
QUEBEC -- Winter has come early in this glorious French-Canadian city, which sits like a genteelly aging queen above the St. Lawrence River, fed by the roiling waters of the St. Lawrence Seaway. The winds were blowing December, instead of October, and hail was in the frigid air.

BAILOUT MUST GO HAND IN HAND WITH REFORM (Georgie Anne Geyer via Yahoo! News)