May is Osteoporosis Month

If you are a female over 50 years old, take a moment to ponder something...You have a 50% chance of breaking a bone.

Yes, that’s right. One out of every 2 women in the United States who are over 50 years old will suffer a fracture. For the men reading this article, the risks are not much better… one out of every 5 men over 50 will suffer a fracture.

It is because of the “silent disease” known as OSTEOPOROSIS.

Literally, osteoporosis means “porous bones.” Osteoporosis is a slow, insidious disease that progressively decreases the strength of your bones by reabsorbing your bone faster than you can create new bone. This results in a painless loss of bone density that eventually leads to an inability of yourbones to withstand any insult or trauma!

Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease in humans. There is an estimated 44 million people living in the United States with either low bone mass or osteoporosis. Studies estimate that by 2020, over half the population of the United States will be effected by this disease. Osteoporosis-relatedfractures are responsible for over 430,000 hospital admission, 2.5 million doctor office visits, and 180,000 nursing home admissions a year. In 2005, the estimated cost of osteoporosis to the health-care system was $17 billion and is expected to double or even triple by 2040.

Osteoporosis is serious and unfortunately surrounded by many myths. For example, do you think you are supposed to loss height or “shrink” as you age? Do you think taking extra calcium is going to prevent this diseasefrom occurring? Do you think osteoporosis is a disease that only elderly women need to worry about?

If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, you need to think again!

“Shrinking” is not normal! A historical height loss of over 1 1Ž2 inches or a documented height loss of 0.8 inches is an indication your bones may be weakening and screening for osteoporosis is necessary.

The recommended daily intake of calcium is 1000-1200mg. Getting the majority of your daily calcium through your foods is best and is utilized more efficiently by your body. If you cannot get the recommended amounts ofcalcium through food, supplements are important. However, taking more calcium does not give you any added bone strength but may instead cause other medical issues like kidney stones, calcification of the blood vessels, and other serious health problems.

Osteoporosis is not just a disease of the elderly. Osteoporosis can affect the young and old! While it is more commonly seen after menopause, there are other secondary causes of osteoporosis that can present at any age. Examples include, Celiac Disease and other malabsorption issues, vitamin D deficiency, thyroid disease, eating disorders, alcohol abuse, chronic steroid use…the list goes on!

If you are over 50 and concerned about your bone health – talk to a health care provider – especially if you have suffered a fracture! If you are post-menopausal or over the age of 65, you need to be screened for osteoporosis whether you have had a fracture or not. Don’t let your first indication of poor bone health be a painful or possibly debilitating fracture!

Here at NH NeuroSpine Institute, we offer a unique clinic that is designed for patients who suffer from osteoporosis, are over 65 or have suffered from a fracture. We can help reduce the risk of further fractures or help to slow the process of bone loss. Prevention is the key to good health! Call us for your bone screening today.

The Golf Enhancement Program

Spring is here! The weather is getting warmer, and people are heading outside for the long-awaited golf season. Before you grab your clubs and head to the golf course, make sure that you have prepared yourself for the physical demands of an 18-hole golf game. It’s important to treat golf as you would any sport, and preparation is always the key to avoiding injury.

Golf is one of the only major sports that does not require strenuous jumping, running, or physical contact, and because of this, players often don’t realize how great of an impact it can have on your joints and muscles. In recent years golf fitness has become a major part of being a better golfer. Golfers are being provided with the education to center their stretching and exercise routine around their sport. As with any sport, it is important to focus on the areas of the body that are most utilized so as not to suffer from injury. Golfers, in particular, may not realize that there is potential for injury or the impact an injury can have on their golf performance. If a player has suffered from an injury such as a strain, sprain, fracture or is recovering from a musculoskeletal surgery, their balance, stamina and technique may be affected and prevent them from having the golf game or golf swing they desire.

The NH NeuroSpine Institute Golf Enhancement Program is here to help you get ready for your golf season! We aim to help golfers who feel they have plateaued as far as their performance level is concerned. We specialize in identifying the factors that are limiting each individual’s golf performance and design an exercise program to target those factors. It is extremely important to keep the individual’s fitness level in mind when designing the exercise program. This is what makes our program unlike any other. We assess swing mechanics as they relate to range of motion, strength and balance to determine what may be restricting the player from evolving to the next level. We can then establish a personalized program that will help increase the player’s performance level and enjoyment on the golf course.

Our TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) certified Physical Therapist, Matthew Harrison, works with each golfer on an individual basis and determines what the player can do to increase their functioning on the golf course. Working with a team of musculoskeletal experts allows Matthew to utilize the knowledge of our providers along with his knowledge as a Physical Therapist to give the best golf performance recovery experience. Please call (603) 472-8888 for more information.

Laura Humen, PA-C

We are pleased to announce the newest addition to the NHNSI Neurosurgery team- Laura Humen, PA-C. We were fortunate to have Laura complete a specialty rotation with uswhile completing her Master’s Degree from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. She will join us in a permanent position on May 20th, 2013. Join us in welcoming Laura to the NeuroSpine family.

Provider's Blog

At New Hampshire NeuroSpine Institute, we think it is important to educate our patients about different topics in the medical community. Our new Provider’s Blog showcases articles written by our providers about topics they are passionate about and in which they have interest. Please take a look and read all of the articles that are showcased on our new Provider’s Blog!

http://nhnsiproviders.blogspot.com/

New MRI Scanner at Our Bedford Location

New Hampshire NeuroSpine institute is excited to announce the installation of a new MRI scanner at our Bedford location! The new scanner will produce high quality scans in less time while providing 3D reconstruction and advanced imaging. At New Hampshire NeuroSpine Institute our goal is to provide the highest quality of service utilizing technological advancements but maximizing cost efficiency. Further we recognize that time is a commodity that most of us have too little of, so providing on site scanning that is specific to the needs of your individual provider is a key factor in saving you time and money. During the installation period we will continue to provide the convenience of MRI services to our patients. However, please excuse our appearance over the course of the next few weeks.

The NH NeuroSpine Institute Welcomed Osamu Shirado, MD, PhD

The NH NeuroSpine Institute welcomed Osamu Shirado, MD, PhD who visited from Japan to observe Thomas J. Kleeman, MD of the NHNSI, perform a less invasive back surgery that reduces a patient's medical costs, length of hospital stay and recovery time. He will introduce these surgical techniques in Japan. The NHNSI is proud to showcase our cutting edge work that is attracting surgeons nationally and internally to learn from our providers.

To read more about this story, click the link below: http://www.unionleader.com/article/20130405/NEWS12/130409480

NH NeuroSpine Institute Welcomes Matthew Porter, PA-C

NH NeuroSpine Institute welcomes Matthew Porter, PA-C to our Orthopaedic surgery team. Matthew graduated from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Manchester, NH. He is a certified physician assistant and is affiliated with the American Academy of Physician Assistants. “I am honored and excited to have joined a patient centered practice and team of highly skilled and well regarded surgeons and PAs, well trained and knowledgeable nursing staff, and dedicated and friendly ancillary staff,” says Matt about joining the NH NeuroSpine Institute team.