Make Sleep Relief a Choice for World Osteoporosis Day

There is one thing you can do starting tomorrow for yourself or someone you love who suffers from osteoporosis. To help reduce the aches and pains of osteoporosis, the most excellent choice that you can make is to get sleep relief.

On the 20^th of October every year, the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) hosts the World Osteoporosis Day (WOD). This year, the WOD is calling for a worldwide campaign to achieve developments for bone health and to avert fractures from happening to those with osteoporosis – which often remain undiagnosed and untreated.

The most agonizing and even life-threatening fractures – often in the spine – are unknowingly caused by osteoporosis. These breaks in the backbone most often result in physical impairment and reduced quality of life in many, and they could be avoided with improved medical care options. Because most of these fractures are ignored, those with osteoporosis are put at risk for succeeding backbone injuries.

Signs of Fractures Caused by Osteoporosis

Do you or someone you know experience back pain, are becoming shorter in height or starting to slouch or manifest other changes in posture? These are all likely indications of vertebral fractures that need immediate medical attention. If osteoporosis or a likelihood to break bones runs in your family, you are at high risk for spine fractures. Osteoporosis can affect anybody, without consideration to age, and afflicts 25% of people aged over 50 years, women more than men.

Sleep Relief for Osteoporosis

Aside from developing self-care habits, you should seek immediate medical testing and treatment for any of the signs mentioned above. In order to relieve aches and to aid healing, you also need to achieve sleep relief.

Sleep relief is not only being able to get enough hours of sleep every night but also getting a quality level of sleep that encourages healing in the body. It plays a major role in the body’s natural healing process. Pain warns you that there is something wrong in your body, and being sensitive to what your body is saying and providing it with needed sleep relief is necessary in order to improve health. This is essential because it enables your body to heal properly, even if you are under treatment and medication, and also needed to prevent further injury.

It possible to achieve quality sleep when you provide the support your body needs. Poor surroundings result in poor quality sleep. To promote sleep relief, your sleep area should meet the following criteria:

• Dark – to sleep properly, the brain requires darkness. Through centuries of genetics, our bodies are accustomed to sleeping when there is no daylight. Artificial light tricks the brain into perceiving that it is still daytime. If darkening your room is not possible, use a sleep mask to obscure surrounding light.
• Quiet – the conscious brain needs environmental and mental silence in order to shut down to rest. Establish a sleeping area that is peaceful and exercise stress-relieving habits every night before tucking into bed.
• Routine – it is necessary for your body to get into a good sleeping schedule in order to achieve sleep relief. Take pains to sustain a pre-bedtime pattern and go to bed at the same time every night. Before sleeping, you could take time to relax, take a naturally sleep-inducing drink, and refrain from stressful activities.
• Comfort – you body requires a pleasant and cozy place to rest to encourage quality sleep. You could also use a support pillow, ergonomic mattress and comfortable bedding in order to ease pain and discomfort that makes sleeping difficult.

Advocate for Osteoporosis Awareness

IOF is extending its invitation to everybody to join them along with its 240 member societies to promote awareness of bone health and rally people to create awareness of fracture prevention and treatment.

Sign the IOF Global Patient Charter to encourage healthcare providers from all over the world to make better diagnoses and provide care and support for people who are afflicted with osteoporosis. People around the globe are in pain because of a wide rift in osteoporosis care and treatment when the discomfort it causes can be easily minimized.

Through self-care, aid those people who are afflicted with osteoporosis to attain a better quality of life. Advocate sleep relief to promote healing and recovery for persons with osteoporosis who have existing fractures and those in danger of them.