Osteoporosis Signs, Pain Relieving Therapies & Preventive Tips

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osteoporosis signs

Osteoporosis Signs, Pain Relieving Therapies & Preventive Tips: Osteoporosis is a widely known disease where your bones get weaken. This results an unexpected and sudden risk of fractures.

The term ‘Osteoporosis’ itself signifies ‘porous bones’ which means your bones become quite spongy and having a tendency to break at a sudden jerk. Osteoporosis results in major loss of bone mass and strength.

Osteoporosis can be better understood when you separate bone mass from a bone making it soft and spongy. The disease generally sweeps silently without giving you any sort of warning signals. In such cases, one needs to be vigilant about the changes in the body.

Osteoporosis pain looks quite mild without giving any sort of problems to the concerned person. But over the longer period of time it may result in severe pain. And so, if anyone is having such a pain in his bones, never take it lightly and consult to an expert.

Considering the level and intensity of pain, it may vary. If the pain persists to a region which is closer to a joint, its intensity may be more and the patient will have to experience severe pain in such areas.

For example, if a patient has to bear pain near spine, then the intensity of pain is going to be more as compared to any other region. This will make the patient lose the ability to move.

The above episodes of pain in and around joints have been seen among elderly people. And if this is the case, they need to consult an orthopedic specialist without any delay.

 

What is Osteoporosis?           

Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to become weak and brittle. It means your bones may become so brittle that they can even have fractures even on mild stresses. Please know that Osteoporosis related fractures are mainly found in areas like spine, wrist or hip.

In general, bone happens to be a living tissue which has to deal with a constant wear and tear. Osteoporosis mainly occurs when new bone fails to create with the loss of old bone.

Osteoporosis affects both men and women of all races. Still, the disease is found in Asian women who become older (post menopause).

 

What Causes Osteoporosis?

In general, new bone is formed at the expense of older bone. When people are at younger age, the process of bone formation is quick as compared to its breakdown. It results in increasing your bone mass gradually.

But when you reach in your 20s, the above process slows and most people generally reach to their peak bone mass at the age of 30 years. Now, at this age, your bone mass starts depleting more than it forms.

There are a number of risk factors involved to decide whether you are going to develop Osteoporosis at an early or later stage. The risk factors include your age, lifestyle choices, and medical conditions and treatments.

 

Osteoporosis Signs

There are a majority of people who still believe that osteoporosis is an elderly disease and can happen in older adults. But it’s not a universal fact. You might have heard the term ‘Juvenile Osteoporosis’ which is seen in young people. The signs and symptoms of Juvenile Osteoporosis include pain in the lower back, ankles, hip and knees.  It also comes with trouble in walking and also leads to the fractures of these areas.

But the sad part is that the exact cause of osteoporosis is still unknown. When osteoporosis strikes, it comes up with the holes inside the spongy part of the bone tissue and finally results in the weakening of your bones.

When you start having severe pain due to osteoporosis, you need to consult an expert. We recommend you not to wait for that long. Even if there is a slightest pain in and around your joints, you need to see a doctor.

But if you are unable to go to a doctor, then you can try some home remedies as well. Some of them include turmeric tea (it helps with the inflammation). Along with that you may always make use of over and counter medications with proper consultation of your doctor.

Although, you never know when osteoporosis strikes, there are some symptoms that you should never ignore:

  • Curve in the back
  • Spinal deformities such as hunched posture
  • Back pain
  • Sloping shoulders
  • Collapsed vertebrae

What Are the Risk factors of Osteoporosis?

Well, there are certain risk factors associated with Osteoporosis. Take a look at them given below:

Age

Age is a significant risk factor that deteriorates your bone density and strength with age. It can be one of the major osteoporosis signs.

 

Gender

Women who have reached up to 45 years of age are more prone to develop Osteoporosis. Factors like menopause and lighter bones as compared to men increases the risk.

 

Body weight and structure of bones

Women who are not heavily built and are thin and petite are more prone to developing osteoporosis. It’s because they have lesser bone mass than those having more body weight.

 

Family history

A family history indicating the instances of osteoporosis signs also increases the risk in newer generations for developing the disease.

 

How to Prevent Osteoporosis?

There are certain ways to prevent the chances of Osteoporosis striking early in your life. Take a look below and implement those changes in your lifestyle:

 

Regular Exercise & Physical Activity

If you are engaged in regular exercise or in any sort of physical activity, there are chances that your bones and muscles will become stronger. It will also prevent your bone loss and will also keep you active at all times.

The best way to prevent Osteoporosis is by engaging in exercises like walking, jogging, dancing and playing tennis three to four times a week. At the same time, experts also advocate some strength and balancing exercises for better balance.

 

Food Choices

Please note that consuming foods rich in calcium including milk and dairy products like canned fish (salmon, sardines), seafood and dark green vegetables.

Those who are lactose intolerant need to consume lactose free foods that are high in calcium. They can be like broccoli, salmon, green leafy vegetables and more.

Here you should also note that our body requires vitamin D to absorb calcium. And so, include more vitamin D rich diet in your food.

 

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