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What is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis means porous bones. The inside of a bone looks like a sponge. In people with osteoporosis, the holes in this "sponge" are larger and more numerous, making the bone weaker and less dense. People with osteoporosis have such fragile bones that even a minor fall can cause a fracture. Osteoporosis leads to 1.5 million fractures each year.

What causes Osteoporosis?

Throughout everyone's lifetime, small amounts of old bone are being absorbed and new bone formed. As we age, more bone is lost than replaced. After menopause, bone loss in women actually accelerates for five to seven years. By age 70, a woman may have lost up to 30% of her bone mass. Some people lose more bone mass with age than others. Some factors are hereditary. Caucasian or Asian women, especially those with thin builds and small bones, are more at risk than African-Americans. Life-style choices about diet, exercise, smoking and alcohol use also affect the amount and speed of bone loss.

Signs of Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is called a "silent disease" because early bone loss often occurs without any pain or other symptoms. Osteoporosis is not evident on X-rays until it is quite advanced; however, a bone densitometer, can detect osteoporosis in the early stages. The loss of height or a broken bone is usually the first sign of osteoporosis. As the spine fractures and collapses, the spine curves, often giving the person a severely bent posture and a "dowager's hump" at the top of the spine. Pain is common in these later stages of osteoporosis.

Protecting your bones is a lifetime job.

Although osteoporosis is considered a disease of aging, the root of the problem is actually in adolescence when most of our bone mass is developed. Teenage girls are often more concerned about their figures than their bones, so they may avoid milk, cheese and other high-calcium foods at a time when extra calcium is needed for strong bone formation. When the diet is low in calcium, the body takes it from the bones to maintain the blood calcium level. For this reason, people of all ages need to eat foods high in calcium. Weight-bearing exercises such as brisk walking, running, tennis, low-impact aerobics and weight-lifting also help strengthen bones.
 

A bone-saving diet

Your daily diet should include low and non-fat milk and other dairy products which are the best sources of calcium. Other good sources are salmon, sardines, oysters, tofu, and dark green, leafy vegetables (with the exception of spinach, which contains a substance that interferes with calcium absorption). Vitamin D is essential for your body's calcium absorption so look for dairy products with Vitamin D added. Fifteen minutes of sunlight can also meet your daily need for Vitamin D.

Calcium Recommendations
Ages 9-18
1300 mg
Ages 19-50
1000 mg
Over age 50
1500mg

Medication

Several medicines, including Fosamax, Calcitonin, Boniva, Actonel, and Evista have proven effective in treating osteoporosis. You should discuss these options with your doctor.

Physical Therapy

The physical therapists at O'Neill Physical Therapy Services have helped many people with osteoporosis to continue an active life-style and manage their pain. Proper exercise is essential for building bone density. We can design a program to build your strength and bone density, improve your posture and maintain a normal range of motion. We can also teach you safer ways to complete daily activities with less risk of injury to fragile bones.

What about the cost?

Your health insurance may cover many or all of our services. Call us so we can confirm your insurance coverage before your first ap­pointment. O'Neill Physical Therapy Services works with many insurance companies including:

  • MDIPA (Mamsi, Optimum Choice, Alliance)
  • Blue Cross/Blue Shield
  • Columbia Free State
  • Potomac Physicians
  • Conservicare
  • TriState Health Partners
  • Medicare
  • Travelers
  • PHCS
  • CCN
  • Carefirst
  • Kemper
  • Beech Street
  • Multiplan
  • Affordable
  • Traveler's
  • Aetna
  • Choicecare
  • Worker's Comp
  • Primary Select
  • PCS
  • SYSCO