I have been extremely keen on having a cervical ADR after August.

I know that ADR is not recommended for people with Osteoporosis or Osteoarthritis - my question is

How would an artificial disc behave should you develop either of these conditions in ten, twenty years?

Would they shift and then cause BIG problems? Has anyone asked their NS or Ortho?

I don't have either of these conditions at the moment, but my mother suffered from Osteoarthritis. Would you have to take calcium supplements for the rest of your life to help prevent this?

If this question has already been addressed on the forum Alistair, would you please point me in the right direction http://adrsupport.org/groupee_common...icon_smile.gif

Thankyou in advance

Hucky
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Hucky, I thought we might have addressed this issue in this topic -- but I am not sure if we lost anything in the migration. There are many topics on this elsewhere (I can dig later for them). Did you find your answers? Judy seems to have similar concerns for a loved one...

Osteoporosis is preventable...go to the gym...lift weights... build up the bone tissue.

This is the number one defense against this disease, as the saying goes - if you don't use it, you lose it, No one should go through life after ADR anticipating something that can be prevented.

I agree with Laura! Not only is it preventable, it is also reversible. Take the advice that we keep hearing: exercise, eat right, take all natural, plant based supplements, don't smoke. http://adrsupport.org/groupee_common...icon_smile.gif

Osteoarthritis in the spine should generally be halted as soon as the instability of the level is fixed by ADR. Facet growth due to damage, either before the ADR or after, might be a type of osteoarthritis possible after ADR but vertebral body osteoarthritis is generally the spiny growths that lead to auto-fusion and that shouldn't happen after ADR stabilizes that level.

Crystal and Laura:
I agree with your advice but your statements are a bit harsh and not totally accurate. Genetics--both in terms of osteoporosis itself and in terms of being small-boned, maximum bone density reached in the first two decades of life, some medications, some medical conditions, prolonged bed rest, etc, etc are factors which are not under an individual's control and/or cannot be avoided.
As for reversibility, I have yet to be totally convinced: there are too many people who have reported here that despite medication and great effort, they are still having bone density issues.

I agree that it's better to prevent it if you know how. It is very difficult to reverse and takes many years of treatment. In some cases it can be mostly reversed but it still depends on many factors and some factors we can't change. Going to the gym is almost impossible due to pain and physical limitations for some people.

This topic has come up often, perhaps a consolidation of these previous discussions may be helpful, see here.

Exactly... This exact same question was asked before I believe by the same person, therefore the answers will also be pretty much the same.

My previous post was not intended to be harsh or inaccurate. I am speaking from my own personal experience. I am quite petite and small boned. After my hysterectomy at age 22, I was thrown into a post-menapausal state. Later assessments showed great degeneration in my bone density. I became very proactive and searched for all natural methods to slow and reverse this process. For me the combination of diet, exercise, supplements, and a trial of Fosamax worked. I agree that it is a complex issue with no simple answer; however, it is better to become informed and seek solutions. http://adrsupport.org/groupee_common...icon_smile.gif