Most of us in Beaver Dam WI and Watertown WI can pull up a picture of a skeleton in our minds. We see them as part of the decor of Halloween, but we don’t think about the important functions they have in our body. The 206 bones and 360 joints that make up our skeletal systems have two major functions. They give our body structure and allow for movement. Without bones, we would be a puddle on the ground; and without joints, we would move like Frankenstein (if we could move at all), stiff and robotic.

Let's talk first about the bones, or our bodies framework. The majority of the bone building process happens before about the age of 50. There are two things that help build bone. Nutrition and exercise. Most people know that calcium is important for building bone. A few sources of calcium are dairy, sardines, canned salmon, beans, lentils, almonds, and kale and we can get our calcium from our diet. Calcium however is not the only nutrient important for building bone. Phosphorus (red meat, poultry, seafood) and potassium (potatoes, avocados, bananas) are also important and possible to get through diet. But there are two more that are difficult to get through diet but extremely important. Vitamin D and Magnesium. They are always on my list of recommended supplements because they are important for building bone as well as other functions in the body.

The second ingredient for healthy bones is the “E” word. Exercise. Weight bearing exercises put stress on the bone which helps to stimulate bone growth. Weight bearing exercises include walking, jumping rope, hiking, dancing, and climbing stairs. If that kind of exercise is not possible for you, I would recommend a vibration plate. You can sit or stand on a vibration plate and receive about the same bone benefits as if you went for a walk. Vibration plates can be purchased online or you can come to our office and use one in our fitness center. Even though we start losing bone density at the age of 50, you can control how quickly you lose that density. It is never too late to start taking care of your bones.

Joints are the second part of the skeletal system. The majority of a joint is made up of cartilage to cushion the bones and ligaments that hold the joints together. Nutrients are important here too. For cartilage health glucosamine and vitamin C are important. Glucosamine is typically from fish and Vitamin C is found in fruits and some vegetables. For ligament health, collagen and manganese are recommended. Collagen is found in animal meats and manganese is found in fruits and vegetables. All of these can be found in supplement form, and it is not uncommon to find supplements formulated to contain ingredients for joint and ligament health. As always when talking about supplements, quality is important. The quality of ingredients and the concentration are vital. If you aren’t sure, I would be happy to check the labels and let you know if it is good or not. (and WHY)

And about Chiropractic. While people call us “Bone Doctors” that isn't really correct. We don’t actually adjust bones, we correct the alignment of bones, so we can let that nickname go. The truth is that if your joints are misaligned, your bones won’t line up properly. When this happens you might notice pain, or that you look “crooked”, or you just feel like you are moving weirdly. After all, we use our joints 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It’s no wonder our bones
can get out of alignment and need help to get repositioned. Just like a car needs its alignment checked, so do our bodies. If you continue to drive a car with bad alignment, the tires start to wear out. Our bodies are the same. If we continue to move through our daily activities without proper alignment, our joints will start to wear out. This isn’t something that happens all at once. It is something that happens over time. That’s also why it may take more than one chiropractic adjustment to fully realign the bones and joints. It took time to get out of alignment, and it will take awhile to get back in place. And because you are always on the move, we recommend getting “tune ups” on a regular basis. To keep everything aligned before you experience pain.

So remember. Two things to prevent (nutrition and exercise) and one to correct
(chiropractic). And as always, I just touched on the basics and will share a lot more at this month’s class. We will talk about the Skeletal System on Tuesday, March 21 at 5:30pm. Feel free to bring your vitamin bottles and questions, and we will get more in depth about bones and joints!

March Wellness Class - The Skeletal System
March 21, 5:30 p.m.
119 E. Mackie Street
Beaver Dam, WI 53916

Dr. Stephanie graduated in December 2016 with her Doctorate in Chiropractic at Logan University. She continued on at Logan University to receive her Masters in Nutrition and Human Performance. She is also certified as a Digestive Health Professional through the Loomis Enzyme Institute. She currently works at Tyjeski Family Chiropractic and Wellness Center.

Caring for Me in 2023

January - Nervous System
February - Lymphatic System
March - Skeletal System
April - Cardiovascular System
May - Endocrine System
June - Digestive System
July - Respiratory System
August - Immune System
September - Excretory/Urinary System
October - Reproductive System
November - Integumentary/Exocrine System
December - Muscular System