Trick or Treatment - protect your bones, ease IT band and hip pain, and enjoy some pumpkin recipes.
Mission Osteopathy Medical Clinic
Trick or Treatment
🎃 👻 🦴 🕸️ 🧟 🍬 🦇
Your October Health & Wellness Newsletter
Halloween is my favorite holiday. The leaves are turning, the days are shrinking, and somewhere a plastic skeleton is already hanging on a neighbor's porch. This month covers a look at bone health, a stretch for that nagging hip pain, some pumpkin recipes that won't spike your blood sugar, and a heads-up on what to do if COVID or flu comes knocking at your door (or someone else's, first).
Here's what's inside 👻
🎃Pumpkin Spice, Done Right
Pumpkin gets a bad reputation every fall — mostly because of what we add to it, not the pumpkin itself. Real pumpkin is packed with fiber, vitamin A, and potassium, and it's genuinely good for you. The trouble starts with the sugar-loaded lattes and pastries riding its coattails.
- Pumpkin overnight oats — canned pumpkin, oats, cinnamon, a spoonful of nut butter, and a drizzle of honey. Ready when you wake up, and the fiber will keep you full.
- Roasted pumpkin seeds — don't toss them. Toss with olive oil, sea salt, and a pinch of paprika, roast at 325°F for 20 minutes. A great source of magnesium and zinc.
- Pumpkin bread with honey — swap the refined sugar in your usual recipe for honey or maple syrup (start with about ⅔ the amount, since both are sweeter than sugar). Combine with pumpkin puree, eggs, olive oil or melted butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves for a naturally sweetened loaf that still satisfies the craving.
- Homemade pumpkin spice latte — real pumpkin puree, unsweetened milk of choice, cinnamon/nutmeg/ginger, and a small amount of maple syrup. You control the sugar; the coffee shop version often has more than a candy bar.
Enjoy the season's flavors — just enjoy them on your terms.
💀Skeletons in the Closet
Halloween decorations aren't the only skeletons worth thinking about this month. Bone health is one of those things patients rarely ask about until something breaks — but by then, a lot of the prevention window has passed.
- Women over 65, and men over 70 (screening guidelines start here)
- Postmenopausal women with additional risk factors (family history, low body weight, smoking, steroid use)
- Anyone with a prior fracture from a minor fall
- Weight-bearing exercise — running, dancing, stair climbing, or jump training. Higher-impact activity stimulates more bone remodeling than low-impact movement like walking alone. If walking or hiking is more your speed, adding a weighted vest can increase the load a bit, though it's not a substitute for higher-impact or resistance work.
- Resistance training — lifting weights or using resistance bands builds bone density directly, not just muscle. Aim for sessions that challenge major muscle groups a few times a week.
- Calcium and vitamin D — through food first, supplements if needed (we're happy to help figure out the right amount for you)
- A DEXA scan — quick, painless, and the only way to actually know where you stand. Ask us if it's time for yours.
Bone loss is silent — there's no early symptom to warn you. If you're in one of the groups above and haven't had a bone density screening, mention it at your next visit.
🕸️OMM Corner: IT Band Pain
If you've noticed a sharp or nagging ache on the outside of your hip or knee — especially with running, cycling, or descending stairs — you may be dealing with IT band syndrome. The iliotibial band is a thick strip of connective tissue running from your hip down the outside of your thigh to just below the knee, and when it gets tight or irritated, it can cause real pain at either end — where it originates near the hip, or where it crosses the knee joint.
- Sharp/burning pain on the outer knee, worse with repetitive bending
- Outer hip pain, near the top of the thigh bone
- Tightness or "snapping" along the outer thigh
- Pain that builds with activity, eases with rest
- Standing IT band stretch — cross legs, lean away, hold 30 sec
- Foam rolling — slow rolls along the outer thigh
- Hip abductor work — clamshells, side-lying leg raises
IT band pain rarely starts at the knee — it's usually a downstream effect of hip, pelvis, or low back mechanics. We look at pelvic alignment and hip rotation, and use myofascial release and muscle energy techniques on the tensor fasciae latae and glutes to treat the source, not just where it hurts.
🕰️Fall Back Without Falling Apart
Daylight saving time ends Sunday, November 1st — clocks go back an hour. It sounds like a gift (extra hour of sleep!), but the time shift can still throw off your circadian rhythm, mood, and energy for a week or two if you don't ease into it.
- In the days leading up to the change, shift your bedtime 10-15 minutes later each night
- Get outside in natural morning light as soon as you can after the change — it helps reset your internal clock faster
- Keep your wake time consistent, even on weekends, for the first week or two
- Watch for the earlier evening darkness affecting mood — a short walk before dinner can help offset it
The extra hour is nice, but your body still notices the shift. A little preparation goes a long way.
🧟Exposed or Sick? Timing Matters
COVID and flu are both circulating this fall. The key question: are you sick, or just exposed?
Already sick? Call us within 48-72 hours — antiviral treatment (like Paxlovid for COVID, Tamiflu for flu) works best started early.
Just exposed, not sick yet? Newer options exist to help prevent illness after a household exposure — ask us if you're a candidate.
Note: one of the newer COVID options isn't covered by Medicare's copay assistance program, so ask about cost if that applies to you.
🕯️Events at Seaport Health Collective
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Oct
12
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Pilates ClassPart of our ongoing Pilates series — no prior classes needed! Core strength, posture, and intentional movement for all levels. 🧘 Bring a yoga mat — space is limited.
Sign Up →
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All classes and events are free to attend — just sign up so we know how many to expect!
An Ounce of Prevention
As my patient, you have direct access to me — no referrals, no waiting. Whether you want to try OMM for that nagging IT band pain, talk through your bone health, or just check in, I'm here. Reach out anytime or book a visit below.
Schedule Your Visit →📅 Know someone who'd love a doctor who actually has time for them? I'd love to meet them — share this newsletter along with my info, or have them book a free meet & greet directly.
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