For more than 44 million Americans, osteoporosis -- a disease that causes bone loss, leading to fractures -- is a reality. In most cases, there are no symptoms until a fracture happens.
Affecting twice as many women as men, osteoporosis happens because of some or all of the following:
So what can you do to help once you have received a diagnosis?
1. Get proper nutrition.
If you haven't supplemented your diet with calcium, it's important to start now. Add vitamin D into the mix to help your body absorb calcium and, at a minimum, slow the loss of bone. Increasing calcium and vitamin D can help decrease the risk of fractures in patients who have already been diagnosed.
2. Exercise.
Weight bearing exercise can also help minimize bone loss. Aim for three to four sessions per week of walking jogging, climbing stairs or other, similar exercise. Another benefit of exercise is keeping you in good shape and improving your balance. If you don't fall, you're less likely to fracture a bone.
3. Hormones.
Some women past menopause can benefit from estrogen replacement therapy to help reduce bone loss. It may help to measure bone density first and decide how important it is to slow osteoporosis, because hormone supplements do carry some risks, like increased odds of breast cancer. Your orthopedic doctor can help you decide whether this is a reasonable treatment to try.
4. Medication.
Calcitonin and bisphosphates are two different types of drugs that can actually increase bone mass and help you avoid spinal and hip fractures, which are the most difficult to heal from.
5. Surgery.
Surgery is usually a last option after you've already experienced some fractures. You'll require hip surgery, for example, if you fracture your hip. And small spinal fractures may compress nerves, causing a great deal of pain that can be treated through surgical means.
Talk to your orthopedic doctor or surgeon for more information on your options after being diagnosed with osteoporosis. To learn more, contact a company like Omaha Orthopedic Clinic & Sports Medicine PC with any questions you have.
Share30 December 2014
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