Dr. James Leipzig recently spoke with Caitlin Francis from WDBJ7 about the Own the Bone initiative, his inspiration in getting involved, and steps to better bone health you can do at home.
Dr. Leipzig, who commonly treats conditions including lumbar disc degeneration and revision spine surgery, brought AOA’s Own the Bone program to Lewis-Gale Medical Center after observing first-hand how osteoporosis and bone fractures impact a person’s life, even after surgery. Though he had treated hundreds of people with hip fractures, it was after his mother broke her hip and underwent surgery that he saw what it meant for her and their family. With only 20% of people with osteoporosis being treated for it, there was a staggering treatment gap that Dr. Leipzig wanted to help fight with Own the Bone.
“The bottom line is that they have a disease called osteoporosis, the symptom is the fracture,” Dr. Leipzig said in the interview. “What’s going on is that the symptom, the fracture, is being treated, but the underlying disease is not being treated.”
He aims to teach people what risk factors to look out for and to encourage them to get screenings for osteoporosis and bone density, especially if you’re older.
While Own the Bone helps cultivate knowledge about osteoporosis and fall risk and prevention, Dr. Leipzig also suggests taking certain supplements, no matter your age. Aim for 2,000 IU of Vitamin-D and 1,200 MG of calcium daily, although it’s better to get the latter from your diet.
Watch the full interview here.
Dr. Leipzig is a board-certified Virginia spine surgeon serving Roanoke and Salem communities with over two decades of experience. He treats spinal stenosis, specializing in procedures like minimally invasive lumbar laminoplasty, microsurgical lumbar surgery, robotic spine surgery, disc arthroplasty, and more. To learn more about Own the Bone or to schedule an appointment, please contact our office.
