An osteoporosis diagnosis can be scary and perhaps overwhelming. Whether you or a loved one has been affected, it can often be an emotional journey that requires a shift in perspective and lifestyle changes. Where do you turn for help? Here at the National Osteoporosis Foundation, our online support community, hosted by Inspire, is over sixty thousand members strong. In this episode of Bone Talk, we are joined by two of our community volunteer moderators, Pam Flores and Sarah Purcell. Pam and Sarah share some of their own osteoporosis experiences and how the NOF online peer-to-peer community can help you find answers and support.

On this episode of Bone Talk, Dr. Heather Johnson, an actively practicing gynecologist in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area, joins Claire Gill, CEO of the National Osteoporosis Foundation, to talk about how changes that occur in the body due to menopause can affect our bone health. For example, the loss of estrogen impacts our bodies in a variety of ways. Bone is living and always growing in our body and estrogen (or the lack of) impacts the balance of breaking down and building up our bones.

March is National Nutrition Month, an excellent opportunity to review how our diet affects our bone health. You can learn to make healthier meal choices every day by understanding how to incorporate foods that are rich in calcium, vitamin D and other essential nutrients into your diet.

After years of managing a consistent health regimen that included things like good nutrition, appropriate supplements and regular exercise, Theresa Reagan found out this past fall that she has osteoporosis. While she allowed herself the space to feel sad and upset, she also quickly made up her mind to take this challenge head on. As we start the new year, we can’t help but feel inspired by her optimism, focus and dedication to finding a positive path forward. Listen to how she dealt with her initial diagnosis and then developed an action plan for her bone health.

In this episode of Bone Talk, we are pleased to welcome Sherri Betz, a member of the NOF Ambassadors Leadership Council. Sherri is a physical therapist, Pilates teacher, and geriatric certified specialist. She specializes in exercise for older adults and teaches community-based classes for osteoporosis, balance, and fall prevention. In the beginning of her career, she became inspired by a physical therapist she worked with which led her to pursue a degree in physical therapy.

Most women are familiar with the more common symptoms of menopause, like hot flashes, sleepless nights and mood swings, but it is so much more than that. It changes everything, often in surprising ways. Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, a women’s health expert, joins us for a deep dive on how menopause affects women, head to toe, inside and out, in ways that most women don’t even think about.

Menopause changes everything. Not only do many women experience some of the more common – but temporary – symptoms of menopause, like hot flashes and mood swings, but there are some surprising ways menopause impacts our bodies in much deeper ways. We know, for example, that bones can get thinner and weaker with the drops in estrogen, and just about everything gets drier. But menopause affects our brain health and functioning in ways we are only starting to understand.

This podcast episode is created in support of World Osteoporosis Day, commemorated annually on October 20. The theme for World Osteoporosis Day 2020 will shine a spotlight on osteoporosis as a “family affair” with caregivers often providing the majority of care and the disease ultimately affecting multiple generations. We are thrilled to have a delightful and impressive mother/daughter team with us. Their story is engaging and inspiring indeed.

October is National Menopause Awareness Month, an opportunity to educate women about changes that can occur in the body during this phase of life. The average age of menopause is 51 and can bring on hormonal fluctuations and hot flashes, among other things. During this time, declining estrogen levels can cause bone loss, in turn increasing your risk of osteoporosis. In this episode, we are pleased to be speaking with Dr. Sharon Allison-Ottey about the connection between bone health, menopause and osteoporosis.

Join Claire Gill, CEO of the National Osteoporosis Foundation, as she hosts Dr. Eric Wise and Karen Lake in this episode of Bone Talk. Dr. Wise is an expert in minimally invasive spine care and interventional pain management, as well as a board-certified Diplomat of the American Board of Anesthesiology. Dr. Wise currently practices at Northeast Pain Management in Bangor, Maine. Karen is a patient of Northeast Pain Management and resident of Maine.

More than 53 million Americans care for a friend or family member with a disability or health care need. The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the fact that our institutions are not prepared to support family caregivers. Many caregivers are “sandwiched” between caring for an aging parent or older adult while also raising children. In this episode, we discuss caregiving challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and provide information on support and resources available.