May 2015

293 318

BONE HEALTH
293 May15
To make old bones, says DR DAVID TIO
of the Osteopathic Treatment Centre,
we need to avoid osteoporosis – the
silent and deadly disease that thins
and weakens the bones of increasing
numbers of men and women in middle
and old age. It is silent: most sufferers
don’t know they have it until they
experience a fracture. And it can be
deadly: studies show that one out of
three people who suffer an osteoporosis-
related hip fracture will die within a year.
An inactive lifestyle, not enough
exposure to sunlight, drinking too
much, smoking, crash-dieting, stress,
insufficient sleep and more are all
lifestyle factors that contribute to
osteoporosis.
The worst culprit, says Dr Tio, is the
excessive consumption of carbonated
drinks and sugary food, along with
too much protein such as meat and
dairy products. That’s because meat
and dairy all contain high levels of
phosphorous, which leaches calcium
from our bones.
Better news is that seeds (especially
sesame), nuts and seaweed deliver
hugely more calcium than dairy does,
and they also provide the many other
#3 Makes Old Bones
Academy of Chiropractic Clinic
#02-27 Riverside Point, 30 Merchant
Road
6438 5051
The Moving Body
#01-23/24 Robertson Walk, 11 Unity
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#03-09 Guthrie House, 1 Fifth Avenue
6469 3870
Osteopathy Treatment Centre
#12-02 Tanglin Shopping Centre, 19
Tanglin Road
6734 6440 |
minerals we need to build strong bones.
David heads up an international team
of osteopaths who will advise on lifestyle
changes that you can make to avoid
getting osteoporosis, or if you already
have it, to prevent it from getting worse.
They’re also qualified to prescribe bone-
strengthening nutritional supplements.
In case you’re wondering what
osteopathy has to do with nutrition
– after all, isn’t osteopathy a form of
manipulation or manual therapy? –
Dr David Tio has been interested in
natural health throughout his long and
incredibly varied career, and the way
he practises osteopathy promotes an
integrated, holistic approach to healing.
Scoliosis – an abnormal sideways
curvature of the spine – is just one of
many medical conditions that Dr Tio has
successfully treated through osteopathy,
avoiding any need to wear a medical
body brace or, the final invasive resort,
inserting a metal rod into the spine.
Though early intervention is preferable,
good results may be achieved even in
adulthood, he confirms.
What’s more, he has also established
a Centre for Complementary and
Alternative Medicine, which offers
everything from acupuncture and
applied kinesiology to chiropody
and podiatry, psychotherapy and
counselling, remedial and sports therapy,
therapeutic massage, naturopathy,
hypnotherapy, rolfing, neurofeedback
and physiotherapy.. In essence, having
and maintaining a strong skeleton is
inextricably associated with overall
health – you can’t have one without
the other.