Osteoporosis is a disease of bones where the bones become very fragile and in extreme danger of fracture. Osteoporosis is commonly referred to as a condition causing thin bones or low bone density.
The reason why a patient suffering from osteoporosis becomes susceptible to fractures is because of the loss of calcium and minerals in the bone which is caused by low bone density.
Osteoporosis Causes
Osteoporosis is one of the most commonly found bone disease especially in women. In fact health survey reports prove that half of all women who are over the age of 50 suffer from wrist, hip, vertebrae as well as hip fracture in their lifetime.
The main causes of osteoporosis are: body’s inability to form of new bones and when the body starts absorbing too much of the existing bones. Usually a patient suffering from osteoporosis gets in the above mentioned conditions when the body does not get enough calcium and vitamin D. The loss of calcium results in the bones becoming extremely brittle which in turn makes them susceptible to fracture.
Osteoporosis Symptoms
Usually there are no clear symptoms of osteoporosis and people usually come to know about this disease when they have a fracture. A person suffering from osteoporosis can also feel spinal pain or neck pain.
This type of pain is known as compression pain which occurs when the bones of the spine fracture. Another symptom of osteoporosis is a stooped posture or a loss of height, which is medically known as kyphosis.
Osteoporosis Diagnosis and Treatment
Usually a specialist of spinal and bone injuries will start the diagnostic process with a thorough physical examination and then proceed with imaging tests that include X-ray, CT scan, bone density study (densitometry) as well as MRI scan.
After a proper diagnosis is reached, doctors usually select the most appropriate treatment program that may include medications like vitamin D and Calcium supplements, bisphosphonates, estrogens, raloxifene, teriparatide and calcitonin.
