While people of all races and ethnic groups can develop osteoporosis, certain groups are more likely to develop the disease. Osteoporosis affects about one in five women over age 50, but only one in 20 men.
If your peak bone mass before menopause is less than ideal, any bone loss that occurs around menopause may result in osteoporosis. Research suggests that about one in two women over the age of 60 years will experience at least one fracture due to osteoporosis.
It affects almost 20% (1 in 5) of women aged 50 and over and almost 5% (1 in 20) of men aged 50 and over. Many people with osteoporosis do not know they have it until they break a bone. Screening is important to find these people before this happens, so they can take steps to decrease the effects of osteoporosis.
For most people, osteoporosis begins after age 50. However, there are some risk factors that can make someone more likely to develop osteoporosis at an earlier age.
The older you get, the harder it is to maintain bone strength. “We continue to build bone mass until age 30,” says Tina Dreger, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. “After age 30, we break down more bone than we rebuild.”
Most people will reach their peak bone mass between the ages of 25 and 30.
When should you call the doctor about osteoporosis? If you have risk factors and are concerned about osteoporosis, ask your healthcare provider about being screened, even if you are not as old as 65 (for women) or 70 (for men). Osteoporosis can be serious. Fractures can alter or threaten your life.
Weight-bearing aerobic activities
Examples include walking, dancing, low-impact aerobics, elliptical training machines, stair climbing and gardening. These types of exercise work directly on the bones in your legs, hips and lower spine to slow mineral loss.
In general, life should be able to go on as normal – perhaps with just a few adjustments. Not everyone with osteoporosis will break a bone. Be reassured that if you don't break a bone, you won't have any pain or other long-term problems. Even if you do break a bone, pain and other ongoing problems aren't inevitable.
Osteoporosis is not a terminal illness and does not directly influence life expectancy.
Technically, once you have osteoporosis, you have it for life. It's incurable. However, there are ways to prevent it, ways to slow down its progression, and — if you catch it early enough — ways to counteract it. Preventing osteoporosis starts early in your childhood and continues throughout your life.
If you already have osteoporosis, keep in mind that vitamin D and calcium alone are not enough to treat the disease. You'll need to take them along with other medications your doctor prescribes.
For postmenopausal women and men age 50 years and older, the T-score is the number that is used for diagnostic classification, as follows: A T-score of -1.0 or above is normal bone density. Examples are 0.9, 0 and -0.9. A T-score between -1.0 and -2.5 means you have low bone mass or osteopenia.
An estimated 924,000 Australians have osteoporosis, based on self-reported data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2017–18 National Health Survey (NHS) and 20% of people aged 75 years and over have osteoporosis (ABS 2018).
significant loss of range of motion or contracture. significant strength differences between sides. back pain (there is a high prevalence of back pain in patients with osteoporosis, which is related to limited functional ability and the pain may need management first) inability to master a hip hinge.
Weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, jogging, and climbing stairs, can help you build strong bones and slow bone loss. Avoid substance abuse. Don't smoke. If you are a woman, avoid drinking more than one alcoholic drink each day.
Osteoporosis is called a “silent” disease” because there are typically no symptoms until a bone is broken. Symptoms of vertebral (spine) fracture include severe back pain, loss of height, or spine malformations such as a stooped or hunched posture (kyphosis).
You can prevent bone loss with regular exercise, such as walking. If you have osteoporosis or fragile bones, regular brisk walking can help to keep your bones strong and reduce the risk of a fracture in the future.
Osteoporosis is not reversible, but medication, a nutrient-dense diet, and weight bearing exercise can help prevent further bone loss and rebuild bones. Osteoporosis weaken bones so that they are more likely to break. Bones consist of living tissue .
It is possible for people to treat or prevent osteoporosis without medication in some cases. If a person's osteoporosis has not caused too much bone loss, lifestyle changes can help prevent osteoporosis bone breaks. These changes include exercise, nutrition, and stopping smoking and drinking.
A: It varies. If you follow your doctor's instructions and allow for adequate rest and recovery time, your bone should heal within three to six months. More extensive injuries, especially those that involve a joint, may require two years or more for optimal recovery.
Weightbearing Exercise
Weight-bearing exercise after young adulthood can help prevent further bone loss and strengthen bone. Examples of weightbearing exercise include: Brisk walking and hiking. Jogging/running.