How to deal with the “cliff-like” aging of bones?

It has always been common for the elderly to suffer fractures due to accidental falls. For the elderly, falling is a common way to cause fractures or bone cracks.

So, why do bones age? How to identify bone aging? How to maintain bones?

Osteoporosis is a hallmark symptom

The growth, development and aging of the human body is a continuous and ever-changing process, and the intrinsic quality of bones is also changing at any time and anywhere. The human skeleton is constantly renewing itself throughout life, and it never stops for a moment. Bone renewal includes two processes: bone resorption and bone formation. The former is the enhanced activity of osteoclasts that destroy old bones; the latter is the enhanced activity of osteoblasts that promote the formation of new bones. At a certain age, the rate of bone resorption is greater than the rate of bone formation, the bone mass begins to decrease, the bone matrix also decreases, and the bones gradually begin to age.

At the same time, bone strength depends not only on the amount of internal substances, but also on the internal structure of the bone. Fan Xiaohong, deputy director of the Orthopedic Rehabilitation Committee of the Chinese Rehabilitation Medicine Association and deputy director of the Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, introduced: "Trabeculae are the microstructures inside the bones. They are a dense mesh structure in the bone marrow cavity. They support bones and bear loads. They are one of the main factors affecting bone strength. The density of trabeculae determines the degree of osteoporosis."

Osteoporosis is a hallmark of bone aging. Fan Xiaohong said that osteoporosis makes bones more and more brittle, and people with osteoporosis are prone to fractures if they bump into something. The most common site for osteoporotic fractures is the spine. Fan Xiaohong said that with age, the vertebral bodies of many elderly people gradually change from round to flat, and the trabeculae of the spine become very sparse and cannot support movements of a certain intensity, which can easily lead to vertebral compression fractures. In addition, common geriatric bone diseases include distal radius fractures, also called Clay fractures, which are fractures of the wrist when an elderly person falls lightly and his palm touches the ground.

Fan Xiaohong said that from the perspective of human physiological aging mechanism, the skeletal aging time of women and men is different. Women's skeletal aging time is earlier, mostly occurring during menopause, which is around 50 years old. During menopause, women's estrogen will decline, and without the protection of estrogen, the bone resorption activity of bones will increase, which will cause abnormal decalcification of bones and lead to bone loss, thus obvious osteoporosis will occur. Men usually experience gradual skeletal aging between the ages of 55 and 60.

Different occupations have different bone aging conditions. For example, athletes and manual laborers exercise more in their youth and have relatively higher bone strength, so their bone aging will be slower. Fan Xiaohong added: "The trabecular structure of athletes is relatively dense, while mental workers exercise less, so the density of trabecular bone is relatively low, bone calcium is more likely to be lost, and bones are more prone to aging."

"Pain is an important signal for detecting bone aging in the body," Fan Xiaohong emphasized. "When people reach a certain age, they may experience pain in the bones and joints throughout the body. Many people have experienced symptoms of lower back pain. In severe cases, the pain will radiate toward the ribs, which is a common clinical manifestation of bone aging." If bone pain occurs, it is the body's way of reminding the bones that aging may have occurred.

How should the elderly maintain their bones?

When it comes to bone care, Fan Xiaohong suggested that, on the one hand, the elderly should have regular physical examinations and do bone density tests once a year. Bone density is the most effective predictor of fracture risk and helps to assist in the diagnosis of osteoporosis. Generally, the spine and bilateral femurs are used for bone testing. When there is obvious hyperplasia or deformation of the human spine, bilateral femoral scans are more meaningful. The normal reference T value for bone density is between -1 and +1, and it is abnormal when the T value is lower than -2.5. According to the results of the physical examination, calcium tablets, vitamin D and other drugs are used for calcium supplementation under the guidance of a doctor, which can effectively relieve symptoms such as osteoporosis. On the other hand, the elderly should get more sun and eat more natural calcium-rich foods such as broccoli and tofu to supplement calcium for the body.

"We Chinese medicine practitioners often say that 'tendons and bones have the same origin.' We can say that bones are 'sails', and tendons and muscles are 'ropes.' As we age, tendons and muscles tend to relax. If we want to set sail, we must first tighten the ropes to continuously provide power support for the locomotor system. Therefore, we must maintain good exercise habits to slow down the aging process of bones," said Fan Xiaohong.

Reasonable exercise can increase bone density, promote calcium absorption, improve joint function, and reduce bone calcium loss to a certain extent. Studies have shown that exercise can improve bone mass more significantly in the elderly than in the young. Fan Xiaohong said: "Old people also need to exercise their muscles and do more resistance training, including push-ups, lifting small dumbbells and barbells, etc., to exercise muscle strength and maintain bone and joint stability. In addition, you can also do some aerobic training such as jogging and walking, and consciously do some exercises to maintain balance."

Fan Xiaohong also reminded the majority of middle-aged and elderly people that people over 50 are prone to injuries in confrontational sports, and excessive exercise will increase the risk of fractures for elderly people with osteoporosis, so they should be very careful. At the same time, Fan Xiaohong also reminded young people that osteoporosis is not exclusive to the elderly. If you do not pay attention to the exercise of muscles and bones and lack calcium for a long time, bone aging may come to you early. Therefore, you should take care of your bones as early as possible, and don't let your bones age before you.