Osteoporosis is a disease that makes your bones thin and brittle. Anyone can develop osteoporosis, but it is more common in older women. Osteoporosis-related breaks most commonly occur in the hip, wrist or spine. These fractures can be disabling and may make it hard to live independently.
What are the common symptoms of osteoporosis?
There typically are no symptoms in the early stages of bone loss. But once your bones have been weakened by osteoporosis, you might have signs and symptoms that include:
- Back pain, caused by a broken or collapsed bone in the spine.
- Loss of height over time.
- A stooped posture.
- Bone fractures, particularly in the spine or hip, are the most serious complications of osteoporosis.
What are the tests for osteoporosis?
Your doctor may order a test that measures your bone mineral density (BMD) in a specific area of your bone, usually your spine and hip. BMD testing can be used to diagnose osteoporosis, predict the risk of futrue fratures and monitor the effectiveness of ongoing treatment for osteoporosis.
- Bone mineral density test (BMD) : The most common bone density test in use today is called dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The test uses X-rays to measure how many grams of calcium and other bone minerals are packed into a segment of bone. The bones that are most commonly tested are in the spine, hip and sometimes the forearm.
- Quantitative ultrasound (QUS): The growing knowledge on quantitative ultrasound (QUS) methods have shown that these techniques are a useful tool to assess integral bone mineral status and fracture risk. Some peripheral skeletal sites such as calcaneus, phalanges of the hand, and tibia are usually tested. QUS techniques are safe, easy to use and radiation-free, so it is more often used in patients who need to monitor the bone density closely and populations who are sensitive to exposure of x ray such as children and pregnant women. In Guke Clinic, we are pround of providing this tool for bone density assessment.
How do we support bone health?
Prevention is the crucial and we are committed to prevent fracture from a holistic approach.
- Dietary factor and nutrition: The food that you eat can affect your bones. Many nutrients play a role in bone health, such as calcium, vitamin D, protein, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium. People with low calcium intake, eating disorder and poor gut health are more likely to have osteoporosis. Our Naturopathic Doctors will assess your diet, gut health and give you a diet/nutritional suggestion.
- Vitamin D injection: Vitamin D injections provide a large dose of vitamin D3 to the body through injection right into the muscle. Studies show that after injection, vitamin D3 levels in the blood rise over a period of weeks and then maintain that level for months. Vitamin D injections are helpful for people with low Vitamin D levels who find taking pills to be inconvenient and difficult to keep up with.
- Exercise: Regular weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening reduce the risk of falls and fractures by improving agility, strength, posture, and balance, as well as general health benefit.
- Smoking: Tobacco products are harmful to the skeleton as well as to overall health.
- Alcohol: Three or more drinks per day are harmful to bone health and increase the risk of falling.