SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A fall and a fracture from osteoporosis – that’s all it takes to lay a farmer up and slow spring planting.

For this to happen at any time can be devastating, but during planting the farmer needs the ability to work at a rapid pace more than ever. Tonya L. Reddy is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner at Springfield Clinic Bone Health Center. She said a fall from a standing position that results in a hip or vertebral fracture is an automatic diagnosis of osteoporosis.

Reddy added if bones are strong, a fall from a standing position should not result in a break. In the past osteoporosis was thought to be a disease of aging, but she explained, "It is a disease of childhood that manifests when you are older, whether that be 42, 62 or 92. The bones develop their thickness and strength around the ages of 11 to 15."

Throughout childhood, children need a diet filled with calcium-enriched foods, as well as 30 minutes of sunlight and an hour of exercise a day. "One out of two women and one out of four men will have an osteoporotic fracture in their lifetime," Reddy said.

Osteoporosis is defined as a disease of the bones. The brochure How Healthy Are Your Bones? published by Springfield Clinic outlines: "Bone tissue is living tissue which is constantly being absorbed and replaced. Osteoporosis occurs when the creation of new bone doesn’t keep up with the deterioration of old bone. "The result of this process is weak and brittle bone that can break with mild stress like bending over, coughing or sneezing."

Genetics plays a role in osteoporosis: "You have a 60 percent chance developing osteoporosis if you have a parent with osteoporosis. The key is to have children of people with osteoporosis screened with a bone density scan, if you have risk factors or a fracture."

A bone density scan can tell bone strength. The test measures the mineral in one’s bones; our bones are supposed to be 99 percent calcium. The score gives a standard deviation from normal which is based on bone strength of a 20-year-old female, Reddy explained.