Osteoporosis is a painful, crippling disease characterized by low bone density, but it is both preventable and treatable. Osteoporosis occurs when not enough new bone is formed or too much bone is lost, or both, and therefore bone is brittle, weak and more likely to fracture. Osteoporosis is often called "the silent disease" because it can progress painlessly until a strain or fall causes a bone to fracture, and many times people don't know they have the problem until the first fracture occurs.
Bone is not a hard and lifeless structure; it is complex, living tissue. Bones provide structural support for muscles, protect vital organs, and store calcium which is essential for bone density and strength.
Signs and symptoms of osteoporosis include:
Although there is no cure for osteoporosis, these steps may slow or stop its progression.
Specialized bone density tests can measure bone mineral density (BMD) in various sites of the body. Bone density testing is painless, noninvasive and safe. Test results can help you and your doctor decide the best course of action for your bone health.
A bone density test can:
Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) - Replacement of declining hormones slows the loss of bone and increases bone density, which helps to decrease the risk of fractures. Estrogen can prevent bone loss, and many practitioners report increased bone density following progesterone administration. Testosterone therapy may also be utilized to improve bone health. Thyroid hormone is required for normal bone remodeling to take place. If thyroid hormone is deficient, old bone that is not as strong and is abnormally thick tends to accumulate. However, excessive thyroid hormone may cause osteoporosis.
Calcium supplements, and other vitamins and minerals (including magnesium, manganese, folic acid, boron, zinc, strontium, copper, silicon, and vitamins A, B6, C, D, and K) are important to bone formation and maintenance.
Ask our health care professionals for more information.