Osteoporosis Does Not Discriminate

A recent study revealed that men are just as at risk for osteoporosis as women, if not more, yet few men are getting screened and treated for the disease.

Osteoporosis causes the thinning and weakening of bones, often resulting in painful breaks or fractures. It is commonly regarded as a condition that mostly affects women, but a recent study in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery states otherwise. In fact, 1 in 4 men over 50 years old will suffer a fracture because of osteoporosis.

A bone density test can determine if you suffer from osteoporosis. This test is routinely performed on women in their 60s, but rarely on men.

Broke or fractured wrists and hip bones are typical causes of osteoporosis. Wrist fractures are the earliest of the fragility fractures and tend to be a precursor to a more serious hip or spine injury.

According to this study, hip fractures in men can be particularly dangerous as they have twice the mortality rate of women during the initial hospitalization and first year after a hip fracture.

Men should be more aware of the possibility of osteoporosis if they have suffered from a wrist or hip injury. In conjunction, doctors should educate men about the warning signs - such as these types of breaks or fractures, or an unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle that can diminish bone strength.

Osteoporosis prevention tips for men include:

• Performing weight-bearing exercises
• Jogging, running, or other high-impact activities to improve bone density
• Maintaining a healthy vitamin D and calcium intake

If you're over 50 years old, speak to your doctor about osteoporosis and steps you can take to improve your bone health.

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Dr. Scott Smith on KVUE Discusses Spike in Adult Injuries in Teen Football Players

Dr. Scott Smith was interviewed by KVUE anchor and medical reporter, Jim Bergamo last week about adult-type injuries on the uptick in teen football players.

Why the spike?

Dr. Smith told KVUE bigger body sizes and year-round, more intense training are the culprits causing serious injuries like ACL tears and fractures.

Stop Sports Injuries has some great tips for parents to help their children avoid these sometimes devastating injuries. 

You can watch the entire story here in case you missed it. 

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The Risky Side of Trampoline Fun: 5 Safety Rules

You can spot a trampoline on nearly every block in Central Texas. For parents, it's a way for their kids to have fun, exercise (and get tired!) in their own backyard. For kids, well, who doesn't love jumping like a circus acrobat!

There is, however, a risky side to all the jumping fun. Trampoline accidents sent 288,876 people, mostly children, to hospital emergency departments with broken bones from 2002 to 2011, according to a recent report published in the Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics.

Fractures made up the bulk of injuries. About 60% of the fractures were upper-extremity injuries, notably fingers, hands, forearms and elbows. Most common lower-extremity fractures were breaks to the tibia, fibula and ankles.

While less common, 4% of fractures involved the spine, head, ribs and sternum - which can be extremely serious and often have long term consequences.

5 Rules for Safe Jumping

Like any exercise or game, trampolines are fun until you suffer an injury. What can you do to prevent one from taking place in your backyard? The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests five safety precautions for preventing injury:

1. Make sure kids are supervised at all times.
2. Only allow one jumper on the trampoline at a time.
3. Adopt a 'no somersaults' rule.
4. Add protective padding on the trampoline and make sure it's in good condition.
5. Check your equipment regularly. If it's damaged replace the equipment. 

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