Health Notes

Stress and Osteoporosis

Last week we discussed a recent research study and the potential effects of a spice, Curcumin on osteoporosis. This week I will discuss the effects of emotional stress on osteoporosis

A study performed in Jerusalem’s Hebrew University and published in October 2006 indicates that depression can lead to brittle bones. In this study, mice given drugs to cause symptoms similar to depression in humans, suffered a loss of bone mass, mainly in their hips and vertebrae.

According to Professor Raz Yirmiya at Hebrew University, “the new findings . . . point for the first time to depression as an important element in causing bone mass loss and osteoporosis.” According to the researchers, “depression activates the sympathetic nervous system which responds to impending danger and stress, causing the release of a chemical compound called noradrenaline that harms both bone-building cells.” The sympathetic nervous system is involved with the fight or flight response in the human body. It causes a release of chemical substances from the adrenal glands including noradrenaline. These catecholamine substances cause a variety of different changes in your system immediately upon their release.

I have to question, though, also whether the actual physical inactivity brought on by depression indirectly causes some of this osteoporatic or bone loss change that has been documented in these lab mice and in humans. When an individual is depressed, there activity level is reduced significantly. Stress on bones is what in part enhances overall bone strength; however, catecholamine release does enhance overall bone loss when it occurs on a protracted basis, such as what would occur with chronic depression.

So, it’s possible that the bone loss is due in fact to two separate reasons, one being a chemical imbalance in the body due to the chronic stress response, as well as a lack of motion, thereby causing a physical weakening of the bones as well.

I’m sure that future research will be done on this subject as well. For more information on this and other studies, please take some time to visit our website, www.upchiropractic.com. If you would like to receive more information regarding alternative health care issues, please email us at upchiropractic@verizon.net and request to be added to our newsletter mailing list.