Decalcification:
The locomotor system consisting of bones and joints is the frame of our body, on it are anchored our muscles, with the help of which we are able to move around and perform tasks which would be impossible were it not due to the suppleness of our joints and their wide range of movements. Calcium, phosphorus, Vitamin D and a host of hormonal, dietary and emotional factors play a major role in the integrity of the locomotor system.
The delicate imbalance between these factors permits many things to go wrong in this system, for instance a deficiency in calcium will cause the entire matrix of the bone to become weaker, or a deficiency in the Ca:P ratio/product can cause demineralisation of the bone. Under normal circumstances, if we adhere to the norms of Nature this system operates effectively and permits us to achieve our life's tasks with the utmost ease.
Bone is a complex of living tissues, including tough protein fiber and collagen. Bone has high levels of mineralization by Calcium, and to a lesser extent of Magnesium, and like most of our bodies is continually being replaced and rebuilt by a process which is sometimes termed as 'remodeling'. Bone deposition (building) and bone resorption (tearing down) actually go on concurrently, so bone is in a perpetual state of tearing down and building back.
As being the reduction in the quantity of calcium contained in the human organism, decalcification is also often known under the term of “skeletal demineralization”. However, it should be noted that there are two types of decalcification which it would be important to distinguish well: it acts on the one hand, of “decalcification by hormonal insufficiency” (or localized decalcification) relating to the secretion of the oestrogens causing an osteoporosis and on the other hand, the “diffuse decalcification” caused by the disproportional degradation of bone tissue because of the excessive production of parathyroidal hormones (PTH): it is the intense decalcification.
The Loss of calcium from the bones is the major cause of decalcification. With the loss of density, bones become brittle and fragile, increasing the risk of bone fracture.
The causes of decalcification:
The decalcification appears by the causes intrinsically related to old age, because with the wire of time, with the age, the human skeleton is demineralized and the quantity of calcium becomes disproportionate and weak.
Menopause: Usually women are touched by decalcification after the Menopause because the proportion of calcium stored in the skeleton is increasingly becoming weak. The average age in France is around 50 years, but in general it is between 40 and 55 years that the woman will be menopaused. The production of the hormones of reproduction stops (progesterone and oestrogens) and the ovaries stop functioning. Approximately four years before the menopause, the first symptoms appear. The disorders related to the menopause are awkward: the most frequent is the appearance of puffs of heat. The rate of bone loss increases immediately during the menopause, due to menopause-associated decreases in estrogen.
Physical inactivity: Regular exercise is one essential component of good health. Lack of exercise is a risk factor for many diseases. Conversely, regular exercise may help to prevent or control a number of conditions, including bones decalcification. Physical inactivity can be considered as a major risk factor for the majority of health problem.
Exposure to the sun: We all are different, and our bones are also sensitive to the rays of the sun. It is necessary to become aware and to not be invading by the desire for making it “crepe” with the sun without protecting ourselves.
In addition, it should be noted that the causes can be related to the hereditary luggage of the individual, or then, with its hygiene and lifestyle. Deficiency in vitamin D, immoderate coffee and alcohol consumption can influence bones replanting, or even the effects rose during certain treatments (thyroid cortisones, hormones, anticonvulsive for example…)
The symptoms of decalcification:
With regard to the symptoms of decalcification, it is noted that a brittleness of the bones leads to a fracture while sneezing! The risks of fractures touch primarily the bones of the wrist, the hip, of the spinal column, the bones of the basin, the collar of the femur… and often, are marked by the deformation of the back, curved shoulders, a bump in the back, and sometimes even the reduction in the size of the individual.
Prevention:
The best treatment for the bones decalcification is prevention. Proper nutrition is an essential element of decalcification prevention.
Until the age of 30, it is possible to increase bones mass. After the age of 30, it is no longer possible to increase bones mass, but only to slow the bones thinning process. Calcium and vitamin D may be obtained through the diet or in the form of a supplement. Calcium is needed by our bodies for many different processes. During childhood and adolescence we transfer the excess calcium we eat to our bones and build up a form of 'mineral deposit bank'. If we do not take enough calcium in our daily diets for our other metabolic needs, our bodies will draw on the calcium in our bones (demineralization), which if sustained will make our bones becoming weaker and less dense.
Regular weight bearing exercise helps to keep bones solid and strong. Walking briskly 30 minutes a day, five days a week is an adequate exercise to help preventing decalcification; Quit smoking is essential and the decrease in the consumption of alcohol.
Decalcification may lead to other diseases like Osteoporosis, Arthritis and Osteoarthritis which means that the prevention is necessary.
