OsteoStrong to celebrate first anniversary
OsteoStrong of Farragut is holding an open house to celebrate its first anniversary.
“I just want to say thank you to the Farragut community for making it a great first year,” said Dee Matchett, OsteoStrong owner and osteogenic technician. “I’ve found the Farragut community to be welcoming, very supportive.”
The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 11, Friday, Jan. 12, and Friday, Jan. 19, at the center, 11110 Kingston Pike in Aspen Square shopping center.
“I’ve got a gift for people when they come in, and we are giving free bone screening,” Matchett said. “So, people can drop in any time during those [open house] hours.”
She said the business has been growing steadily since it opened Jan. 11, 2017.
“I’m having more opportunities to do presentations,” she said. “One of my goals is to educate the community about bone health.”
She speaks to community groups and clubs, not only as an OsteoStrong representative but also as a certified peer educator with American Bone Health.
One of those opportunities is a presentation, which is open to the public, at 11:15 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 21, at Park Place of West Knoxville, 10914 Kingston Pike in Farragut. Matchett also will be speaking for an Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning course at Roane State Community College.
“I am finding people are taking better care of their bones,” she said. “I’m really blessed to have these opportunities to educate the community.”
Matchett also attributed OsteoStrong of Farragut’s success to hard work, networking, presentations, word of mouth and referrals from physicians and practitioners.
Her vision of opening OsteoStrong started with a personal quest when, faced with a diagnosis of osteoporosis, she discovered a new way to prevent and even reverse bone density loss. She decided to share her discovery by opening OsteoStrong, using a patented device that uses isometric motion to put pressure on the bone without harming it.
At OsteoStrong, Matchett uses equipment to help build bone mass and uses osteogenic loading, which is “an equivalent of a one-[weightlifting] rep max without the risk … and improves sports performance,” she said. So, besides senior citizens, athletes also can benefit from the techniques.
“We also improve balance to reduce the risk of falling,” Matchett said. “Twenty-seven percent of people who end up in nursing homes or assisted living facilities for the first time do so after falling and breaking their hip. So, if I can prevent people from falling, I can improve their quality of life.
“Fifty-four percent of Americans have osteoporosis or low bone mass, putting them at risk for broken bones,” she added. ”Osteoporosis is responsible for 2 million broken bones every year in the USA, and one in two women and up to one in four men over the age of 50 will break a bone in their lifetime due to osteoporosis.
“One thing people don’t realize is how bone health is connected to other health issues.”
For example, “Strengthening your bones reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease — heart attacks and strokes,” Matchett said. “We also build muscle density … which reduces AIC, the blood marker for diabetics.”
A new feature of OsteoStrong is a Strength Wall.
“As members increase in their force strength production, they move their name up the wall,” she said. “Over 50 percent of our members have increased their strength by at least 25 percent or more.”
OsteoStrong is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. To make an appointment, call 423-839-6600.
