- Orthopedics, PediatricsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogWith a new school year about to start, I’ve been thinking a lot about kids and their bone health. Osteoporosis is a disease that happens when your body loses too much bone, makes too little bone, or both. Many think osteoporosis only affects older people. But it’s actually a disease that begins in childhood, with symptoms that appear in adulthood. Experts believe most people reach their peak bone mass in their early 20s. After that, you are holding on to what you have and trying to keep a balance between removal and replacement of old bone – not adding new bone. So what can you do to help your children reach their optimal peak bone mass so they have healthy bones as adults? READ MORE: True Story: What I wish I had known about my bones when I was younger Develop healthy eating habits Healthy habits start in childhood, and getting enough calcium and vitamin D is key. Yes, your kids can develop a taste for leafy green vegetables, nuts like almonds, and water or milk to drink. Replace soft drinks with calcium-rich dairy drinks. If your child dislikes dairy products or is lactose-intolerant, consider almond milk or fortified orange juice. It’s also important that your child eats enough calories, especially if he or she is an athlete. Eating disorders are more common in kids than you might realize, and are a disaster for bone health during these formative years. Watch out for weight loss or low energy in your child, and seek out a dietitian if you aren’t sure if your kids are getting enough calories. Get active Get kids moving for the joy of moving, and they’ll develop a lifelong love of being active. Research shows that high-impact exercise, such as jumping, is the most powerful way to build bones and muscle. But it also has the highest risk of injury. A sprinkle of higher impact exercise along with lower intensity activities is a winning combination. For kids in elementary and middle school, it’s important for them to have time to chase, run, climb, and then rest when tired. This helps them develop independent thinking and neuromuscular coordination, all while having fun. Old-fashioned games like hopscotch and jumping rope are also great ways to build bone, balance and muscle. Walking as a family is a chance for both you and your kids to exercise and spend quality time with each other. I highly encourage you to fight to keep recess in schools. Let your local school board know that physical education is crucial not only for exercise, but to develop the skills necessary to lead an active, healthy lifestyle as adults. Organized sports are another opportunity for kids to get exercise and develop neuromuscular skills, but beware of overuse injuries. Avoid specializing in one sport until high school to make sure your child develops a well-rounded set of movement patterns and prevents repeatedly stressing the same body parts. Be careful with tournaments and other events that cram a lot of intensity into a short time, and beware of burning your kids out. The trick is getting children to develop a love of sports and other physical activity so exercise becomes a lifetime habit. READ MORE: Preventing osteoporosis: 7 tips for better bone health Limit screen time Phones, computers, TVs, video games – screens are a big part of our world, for both children and adults. Screen time can take a lot of time away from physical activity if you let it. I don’t think we have figured this out, but consider limiting screen time to allow your kids to get at least an hour of exercise every day. The great thing about nurturing good bone health is that these habits are good for the rest of your health, too. So, as kids head back to school, let’s think about ways to help them eat right and stay active to ensure a lifetime of healthy bones! Author Christina Morganti, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and medical director of the Osteoporosis Program at AAMC Orthopedics. She can be reached at 410-268-8862. Originally published Aug. 26, 2019. Last updated Oct. 19, 2020.
- OrthopedicsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogOsteoporosis is a disease that happens when your body loses too much bone, makes too little bone or both. This leads to weaker bones that can break more easily. In honor of World Osteoporosis Day, Mandy Fawcett, a physician assistant in Luminis Health Orthopedics’ Osteoporosis Program, sat down for a Q&A to discuss her work treating patients with osteoporosis and why it’s so important to take good care of your bones. Mandy, you work with Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Christina Morganti at Luminis Health Orthopedics in the Osteoporosis Program. What got you interested in the field? I was originally a finance major and, when I graduated, worked at Legg Mason in Baltimore. But I quickly became bored and decided I wanted to change careers. What better way to do that than to become a health professional? So I went back to school and became a physician assistant. I was hired to help Dr. Morganti with the Osteoporosis Program at Luminis Health Orthopedics as a new graduate, and got on-the-job training in osteoporosis. I have learned so much since I started here. Treating patients with osteoporosis is especially gratifying because osteoporosis is a disease that affects so many people. Fifty percent of women and 25 percent of men over the age of 50 will experience an osteoporotic fracture. Unfortunately, the reality is that 80 percent of people who need treatment for osteoporosis do not receive it. READ MORE: True Story: What I wish I had known about my bones when I was younger What are some of the issues you see osteoporosis patients worry about the most? The biggest obstacle that we have to overcome is that many patients are very afraid of the side effects of the medications we prescribe. I find that there is a lot of misinformation in the general public about these adverse reactions. In fact, the chance of having one of these side effects is extremely rare. Some studies estimate it’s one in 100,000. However, the chance of having an osteoporotic fracture can be really high. What are some of the more interesting new things in osteoporosis treatment or nutrition? Dr. Morganti and I firmly believe that everyone should maximize non-pharmaceutical treatment for their bones. For example, all postmenopausal females should consume a total of 1200 milligrams of calcium, preferably from food sources. Many people also benefit from vitamin D supplements. We usually start with about 1,000 international units (IU) daily, and adjust the dose of vitamin D based on blood work. There is new medication on the market as well. Recently, a new bone-building drug came to market that may be a cheaper and promising alternative to the other two bone-building drugs now available. Dr. Morganti and I are monitoring it now that is on the market and will make a decision as to whether we think it is a good option for our patients. What type of exercise should patients do? Exercise is important. Everyone should do an enjoyable, lower-intensity exercise like walking at least 30 minutes daily, perform weight-bearing exercise two to three days per week, and balance train one to two days per week. Learning the proper technique to do exercise is extremely important in order to avoid injury. In general, you should avoid exercise that involves forward flexion of the spine, like when you do crunches, or too much rotation. Osteoporosis patients should only attempt higher-impact exercises like jumping with great caution, and only if good, strong muscle has been developed to protect the bones. Patients should be careful with contact sports or sports where you can slip, like skating, since falls can lead to fractures. What are some of the worst things you can do for your bones? Smoking cigarettes is very bad for your bones. Studies have also shown that drinking more than three units of alcohol a day or drinking excess caffeine can be harmful as well. Authors Mandy Fawcett is a physician assistant with the Osteoporosis Program at AAMC Orthopedics. She can be reached at 410-268-8862. Christina Morganti, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and medical director of the Osteoporosis Program at Luminis Health Orthopedics. She can be reached at 410-268-8862. Originally published May 23, 2019. Last updated Oct. 19, 2020.
- OrthopedicsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogI never thought much about my bones when I was younger. I figured they were strong and would last unless I broke one. And if I did break a bone, it would heal and everything would be fine. After all, I was busy working full-time, plus managing a household with three kids and a husband and all of our daily activities. I didn’t have time to think about my bone health. I thought I was invincible. I wasn’t. Here’s what I wish I had known about my bones when I was younger. I wish ….. I had known that there is a point where your body stops making new bone. I didn’t know that by the time you reach your mid-30s, you begin to lose more bone than your body can replace. Menopause speeds this process up. READ MORE: Bone health and osteoporosis: What all women should know I wish …. I had made sure I was getting enough calcium in my diet. I knew that calcium was necessary for bone health, but I did not focus on making sure I had enough in my diet. READ MORE: 7 tips for better bone health I wish …. I had exercised more. Even just walking for 10 minutes at a time, three or four times a day would have helped. I wish …. I had never started smoking. I smoked for about 10 years and wish I had known that smoking wasn’t good for my bones – or anything else, for that matter. Schedule your lung screening today and learn your risk of lung cancer. I wish …. I had known that at every stage of your life, you have to focus on your own health and make sure you learn what you need to do to stay healthy – and make time to take care of yourself. Author Bonnie P. Mulieri, 75, of Arnold is an osteoporosis patient. Originally published Oct. 14, 2019. Last updated Oct. 19, 2020.
- Cancer Care, Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogIf you have or have had breast cancer, you may want to know if there are things you can do that may lower your risk of the cancer growing or coming back. Diet is thought to be partly responsible for about 35-40 percent of cancers. No specific food or diet can prevent you from getting breast cancer, but striving to get your body the healthiest it can be to improve your immune system may help keep your risk as low as possible. Breast cancer is less common in countries where the typical diet is plant-based and low in total fat. Breast cancer is one of the best-studied cancers and research has shown us a few things we can do that might be helpful. One thing is clear: fat is a major source of calories. High fat intake can lead to being overweight or obese, which is a breast cancer risk factor. Overweight women may be at higher risk for breast cancer because the extra fat cells make estrogen, which can cause extra breast cell growth. Here are some steps you can take to lower the risk of breast cancer: Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Freeze grapes and berries for a snack. Buy a new fruit or vegetable every time you go to the grocery store. Add squash, onions, mushrooms and carrots to jarred or fresh spaghetti sauce. Eat whole fruit instead of juices or smoothies for a fiber boost. Make all snacks fruits and vegetables and elevate these with marinades, seasonings or cold vegetable slaws. Limit your fat intake. Use less salad dressing or substitute with flavored vinegars or chutneys. Cook with bouillon, broth or stock to enhance flavors. Avoid processed meats and cold cuts as these are high in salt, fat and preservatives. Eliminate foods with the highest fat content. Aim for 3 grams of fat or less per 100 calories when label reading. Choose lean cuts of meat and remove skins. Mix up your protein options. Try fish, chicken or lamb instead of beef and pork. Have and omelet for dinner with beans and vegetables. Use lentils or beans as your main dish such as vegetarian chili, bean burgers or a hearty soup. Add healthy choices to your diet. Bake, broil or grill your food to decrease the amount of calories in your food versus frying. Choose nonfat milk and dairy products and yogurts. Choose smaller portions with a total of 6 ounces of cooked meat per day. Fill in the remaining plates with vegetable and fruits. Eat more fiber to feel full for longer and to lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Put beans into salads, soups and casseroles. Toss vegetables with pasta sauce. Be physically active. Among breast cancer survivors, studies have found a consistent link between physical activity and a lower risk of breast cancer recurrence and death. Research has also linked physical activity to improvements in quality of life, physical functioning and less fatigue. Limit or avoid alcohol. Alcohol can increase levels of estrogen and other hormones associated with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. It also may increase breast cancer risk by damaging DNA in cells. Compared to women who don’t drink at all, women who have three alcoholic drinks per week have a 15 percent higher risk of breast cancer. Consider buying organic. There is a real concern that chemicals used to grow food may cause health problems, including an increase in breast cancer risk. To reduce your exposure to pesticides, you may want to buy organically grown food, particularly fruits and vegetables. Authors Ann Caldwell and Maureen Shackelford are nutritionists and registered dietitians at Anne Arundel Medical Center. To reach them, call 443-481-5555. Originally published Oct. 1, 2018. Last updated Oct. 19, 2020.
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAnne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) has earned the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) 2020 Digital Health Most Wired designation. AAMC is recognized for applying core and advanced technologies into clinical and business programs to improve health and care in the community it serves. “Now more than ever the use of technology is vital in healthcare,” said Ron Nolte, associate chief information officer at AAMC. “We are using technology to keep our patients connected to their loved ones during this time, to enable access to expert care through telehealth visits and so much more. Anne Arundel Medical Center is proud to be recognized for the most advance technologies that help improve health outcomes for our patients, create efficiencies for our workforce and, ultimately, enhance the health of our community.” “Digital technology has been a driver of innovation in healthcare for many years now, but never to the degree that we saw in 2020 with the pandemic,” said CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell. “The Digital Health Most Wired program underscores why healthcare organizations keep pushing themselves to be digital leaders and shows what amazing feats they can achieve. This certification recognizes their exemplary performance in 2020.” This is the third year that CHIME has conducted the survey and overseen the program. In each successive year, CHIME has expanded the survey to capture more types of organizations that serve patients across the continuum of care. CHIME also continues to promote the program internationally to provide a global overview of digital health advancements.
How can we help?
Common Searches
Common Searches
Log in with MyChart
Access personalized site features & view your health records.
Learn more about MyChartDon’t have a MyChart account?
Your Account
View your Dashboard
Messages
Find Care
Schedule Appointment
My Care Team
My Record
Appointments
Medications
Log in with MyChart
Access personalized site features & view your health records.
Learn more about MyChartDon’t have a MyChart account?