Fun Facts About Bones
The body is made up of 206 bones. The skull makes up 28 bones, the upper extremities have 64, the lower extremities have 62 and the torso has 52.
The largest bone in the body is the femur and the smallest bone in the body is the stapes which is found in the inner ears and is about the size of a bell pepper seed.
Why Is Bone Health Important?
The bones in our body have numerous roles. Our bones provide a framework that is designed in a way that offers support, protection, and movement. The bones also play a pivotal role in storing calcium and the production of white and red blood cells or immunity and oxygen transport, respectively.
What Happens To Our Bones As We Age?
As our bones age they store less calcium. This is more common post menopause. As calcium deposits diminish so does the strength of the bone. Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease. Statistically about half of women over the age of 50 will experience a broken bone due to mineral loss.
Although there are numerous causes of osteoporosis, one thing that can slow down the preventable form is calcium supplementation. Calcium supplementation can be difficult. Sometimes the body does not absorb the calcium like it should. Calcium also needs to be taken in the presence of vitamin D, which helps the body absorb the calcium.
The bones also experience a lot of wear and tear as we age. When we work a lot with our hands the body responds by forming callus’ and as we exercise and put stress on our muscles they grow. The bones are similar in a sense. Under repetitive stress the bones adapt to the stressors through a process known as Wolff’s Law. The law states that ”bone will adapt to the repeated loads under which it is placed [and]... if load to a bone increases, remodeling will occur so that the bone is better equipped to resist such loads”.
Unfortunately, as bone remodels under tensile loads it often leads to enlarged areas of articulation that may cause difficult/painful movement, decreased range of motion or grow in a way that compromises the spinal cord and/or spinal nerves. When bone remodeling occurs in such a way that causes pain and interferes with our activities of daily living it is referred to as arthritis. Although arthritis may not always be preventable, we can take steps in the right direction that can help slow down the damaging effects of unnecessary stress through proper ergonomics, posture exercises and keeping your spine aligned correctly through Chiropractic adjustments.
-Patricia Cox, D.C.
Dr. Patricia Cox grew up in Miami, Florida. She is a 2006 graduate of Stetson University, and a 2015 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic. In between undergraduate school and chiropractic school, she served as an active duty United States Marine from 2006-2010. She is very proud to be a veteran and loves interacting with and taking care of other veterans. She also works very well with children and pregnant patients. Dr. Cox is passionate about getting children the proper spinal care early on to set them up for a healthy life and maintain it through chiropractic and a wellness lifestyle.
Cox Chiropractic Care in Port St. Lucie, treats a wide variety of conditions that effect people of all ages. Chiropractic care isn't only for those suffering from neck pain or back pain. Chiropractic can also help those suffering from ear infections, migraine headaches, sciatica, numbness and tingling to the limbs, car accident injuries like whiplash, sports injuries, and more.
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