Are You Experiencing a Vitamin D Deficiency?

At The Arthritis & Infusion Center, we are seeing more and more people who have a vitamin D deficiency. Why should you be concerned? Dietary Guidelines for Americans indicate vitamin D is a nutrient of concern in our diets, advising that people should choose foods that provide more vitamin D … or take supplements. Vitamin D is absolutely essential for good bone health, and it may even help with muscle strength. In addition, it is thought to protect against cancer and type 2 diabetes. Recent studies have indicated that non-Hispanic blacks seem to suffer from the highest rates of vitamin D deficiency, although further research is needed. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ultraviolet light from the sun helps people form vitamin D in the skin. It is then transported to the liver and converted to 25-hydroxyvitamin D, so getting into the sun on a regular basis would help elevate your vitamin D levels. 

A healthy, balanced diet should include plenty of fruits and vegetables, adequate calories, and enough calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin K to minimize bone loss and maintain overall health. While calcium is the most important nutrient for preventing osteoporosis, vitamin D supplements help to preserve bone mass and prevent hip fracture. 

The National Institute of Health also advised that vitamin D is required for the proper absorption of calcium from the intestine. Only a few foods naturally contain significant amounts of vitamin D, including fatty fish and fish oils. Food fortified with vitamin D, such as milk and cereals, are a major dietary source for vitamin D. Unfortunately, vitamin D production decreases in older adults and those who are housebound. The recommended daily intake of vitamin D for adults is 600 IU and 800 IU for adults over age 70. (Note:  Doses of more than 2,000 IU per day is not advised, although larger doses can be given, initially, to those who are deficient as a way to replenish the body.)

 

Dr. Hulon Crayton always advises his patients that “Any pain is not normal. Let us help.”  Contact our office to schedule an appointment to see if you are suffering from a potential vitamin D deficiency, which can lead to osteoporosis. But remember:  A healthy diet and lifestyle are important to optimizing good bone health.

Do I Need a Bone Density Test?

Osteoporosis is a silent disease.  One in three men, and one in four women, will die within a year of a hip fracture.  Early detection is the key to preventing this silent killer.  A Bone Density Test determines whether you have osteoporosis or are at risk for this dreaded disease.  Osteoporosis is a condition that causes bones to become more fragile and therefore, break more easily.

 According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the following people should seriously consider having a bone density test:

• Women, 65 years of age or older … or … a postmenopausal woman, under age 65, with one or more risks factors for osteoporosis … or … a postmenopausal woman who has stopped taking estrogen therapy or hormone therapy.

• Men, 70 years of age or older … or … if you’re a man between the ages of 50 and 70 with one or more risk factors for osteoporosis.

• Both men and women, over the age of 50, who have experienced a broken bone.

            Bone density tests are used to identify decreases in bone density before you break a bone, because they enable to Dr. Hulon Crayton to know your risks for breakage.  The test is quick, painless, and is the preferred method to measure your bone mineral density (BMD).

            So what are the risk factors for osteoporosis?

1.      Getting older, since bones weaken as you age.

2.      Your ethnic background: Caucasian/white women, or women of Southeast Asian descent, have the greatest risk of osteoporosis; however, all women certainly can have a significant risk of the disease, so a test to determine your BMD is in order, especially if you are postmenopausal.

3.      If you are of average height and weigh less than 125 pounds.

4.      Family history of osteoporosis or hip fractures.  Or, if you have a personal history of fractures after the age of 40.

There is no real preparation needed for this test, but it’s as simple as calling The Arthritis and Infusion Center to schedule your appointment.  Call (850) 873-6748 or go to www.DrCrayton.net for additional contact information regarding our practice.  Remember:  “Pain is not normal.  Let us help.”

"Pain Free" Thanks to Dr. Crayton

My name is Debra Brooks, and I saw Dr. Crayton a little over one month ago. When I came in, I told him my pain was an eight on a scale of one to ten, and sometimes the discomfort reached a level ten. In fact, I had begun to have to use a walker, or cane, just to get around, and it wasn’t unusual to have to hold onto walls. It was hard getting up from a seated position, so I had to use a lift chair. I was pretty much hurting from my neck all the way down to my feet.


When I first saw Dr. Crayton, he assessed my condition, and put me on a medication particular to my symptoms. Within three days, I started noticing my pain going away. Within a week, my pain was totally gone! I was able to get up and walk around on my own without any special assistance. When I went to the grocery store, I didn’t have to use the electric cart.  I’ve put my walker and cane into storage, and don’t use the lift chair any longer. To me, this is a true miracle.   

Now, I’ve started to lose weight, because I have more energy to get up and walk around to do things. I can even clean my own house, and was so excited, I cleaned it from one end to the other! I’m so happy that I want to spread the joy that I feel to others who are suffering. I highly recommend Dr. Crayton as the first place to call if you are in pain from arthritis or other chronic diseases.

“The Silent Killer” … Another Name for Osteoporosis

Unfortunately, elderly patients with osteoporosis are the most vulnerable for compression fractures, which are broken bones of the spine. This fracture normally occurs with osteoporosis, but could also be caused from trauma to the back or tumors in the bone.

Symptoms of Compression Fractures, which cause severe back pain, usually occur in the mid to lower part of the spine. Our patients have described “shooting” pains that are aggravated by walking and a stooped posture.

The tests that are recommended for Compression Fractures include a bone density test to evaluate the osteoporosis that may be present, followed by a CT or MRI scan if there is concern that the fracture was caused by the trauma or tumors (mentioned above).

Fortunately, treatment is available and healing can occur over eight to ten weeks. There are medications available to treat osteoporosis, which can help prevent future fractures, but when vertebrae have already collapsed, treatment cannot reverse the fracture.

Immediately contact Dr. Crayton at The Arthritis and Infusion Center if you have back pain and think you may have experienced a compression fracture. The sooner you seek medical help, the faster we can ease your pain and get to the bottom of what is causing your discomfort. Remember our slogan: “Pain is not normal. Let us help.”

Five Tips for the Prevention of Osteoporosis

Since May is National Osteoporosis Prevention Month, Dr. Hulon Crayton of The Arthritis and Infusion Center would like to remind people to be mindful of five (5) important steps to help prevent Osteoporosis: 

1)                 First and foremost, early detection is always key to disease prevention.  Actually, Osteoporosis is relatively easy to diagnose. Thanks to advanced technology, available in Dr. Crayton’s office, a bone density scan can quickly detect the loss of bone mass in a person’s body. This bone loss means that a person’s bones become more fragile and are more likely to break.

According to the Florida Department of Health, Osteoporosis is often called the “silent disease”, because there are often no symptoms until a fracture occurs. This website is an excellent resource for health information: www.doh.state.fl.us. The remaining ways to prevent osteoporosis involve lifestyle changes that include: 

2)                  Eating foods high in calcium

3)                  Getting plenty of exercise

4)                  Not smoking, and

5)                  Limit alcohol use 

However, genetics also factor into this disease. Taking supplements, like Vitamin D and Calcium, is something to consider as well. However, be certain to discuss with Dr. Crayton any medications you are taking and when you should add supplements to your diet. 

When one realizes that an estimated 44 million men and women, aged 50 and older, will be diagnosed with Osteoporosis this year alone … isn’t it time you contacted Dr. Crayton? 

Dr. Crayton always reminds his patients that any pain is not normal. The Arthritis and Infusion Center can help! Why not call them … today!  873-6748 … or www.drcrayton.net.