Learning to Care for My Bones

"You're on the road for osteoporosis."

My heart sunk. At nineteen years old, it was the last thing I ever expected to hear.

My new rheumatologist was looking through reports of various scans taken a few weeks before. I didn't bat an eye when she mentioned joint erosion and deformities. But when she told me my bone density was too low, my jaw dropped. Of all the things I knew psoriatic arthritis could do, I never realized bone loss was one of them.

Learning about bone health

I never imagined I would spend my twenties worrying about bone density.

But to be honest, I never thought about my bone health before that day. Even though I had been treated for psoriatic arthritis for years prior, my doctor and I never talked about bone health. While I was aware of the risk of bone loss due to steroid treatment, I was never worried because I never used them long-term.

After doing some research, I did find some articles and studies that confirm people with psoriatic arthritis are more likely to struggle with bone thinning. Chronic inflammation takes its toll on the body, and the bones are no exception. Add on other factors such as steroid use or a sedentary lifestyle, and it's the perfect storm. It made me wonder why bone loss prevention isn't discussed more often.

Fear of the future

Learning about the state of my bones was nerve-wracking. I started to wonder about how an injury would affect me. Would a mild injury cause me to break a bone? Would it take longer to heal? I became fearful of accidents, especially any hard impact.

But the scariest thing to think of was the future. If my bones are thin now, what will they look like when I'm 40? 60? Though I'm less nervous about accidents, my fear of the future hasn't subsided. However, instead of dwelling on the 'what if's,' I try to think positively; I'm still young enough to make impactful bone health changes, and learning to take care of my bones now will help me as I age.

Positive changes

My decision to take care of my bones meant the beginning of many changes. Adopting a bone-healthy diet was my first step. Instead of focusing on counting calories, I focus on vitamin and mineral intake. Vitamin D and calcium, among other things, are vital for healthy bones. Since it's hard to always choose vitamin-rich foods, using supplements helps a lot!

My doctor highly recommended doing weight-bearing exercises. While I attempt to do these as much as I can, impactful workouts are stressful on joints. Jumping rope, jogging, and other workouts that are great for bone health arent the best for inflamed joints. Personally, I focus on activities that aren't as stressful on my joints. While they may not be the best for bone health, it's better than not exercising at all.

Taking control

There are days I wonder what else is arthritis doing to my body. There are times it feels like it's taken over almost every system of my body. But it's so much better to be aware of what's going on. For me, as scary and depressing as it is at times, knowing more helps me feel more in control of what happens. Having a positive attitude and being forgiving of yourself goes a long way. Maybe I can't undo the damage that occurred, but I can try to take better care of myself going forward.