Osteoporosis of the spine

What is Osteoporosis of the Spine?

Osteoporosis, is the cause of bones becoming brittle or weak. This is the result of a loss of bone density. Losing this weakens the bone and increases its likelihood of breaking.

Osteoporosis affects both men and women of all races. Although, older White and Asian women who are past menopause are at high risk.

The loss of bone strength (particularly in elderly) has often led to bone fractures. These fractures can be very painful. Not to mention, they typically do not heal properly. Instead, they heal in a position that can lead to increasing curvature of the spine (kyphosis.)

Osteoporosis Symptoms:

Early stage osteoporosis has no symptoms. However, once your bones have weakened your symptoms may include:

• Loss of height
• Sudden onset of sharp back pains. Typically brought on by a fractured bone
• Abnormal curvature of the spine

Osteoporosis Causes

The causes of osteoporosis are as follows:

• Loss of calcium or lack of vitamin D
• Mild trauma
• Aging process
• Women susceptible after menopause
• Family history

Risk Factors

Common Risk factors for osteoporosis include:

• Aging
• Being female
• Low body weight
• Low sex hormones
• Menopause
• Smoking

Diatary also plays a roll in risk factors. For instance, a low calcium diet contributes to dimished bone density. Furthermore, if you have a eating disorder, it can also put you at risk. Also, if you’ve had gastrointestinal surgery, this limits the space to absorb nutrients.

Not to mention, medical conditions can put you at risk for osteoporisis, such as:

• Celiac disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Kidney or liver disease
• Cancer
• Lupus
• Multiple myeloma
• Rheumatoid arthritis

Treatment For the Condition:

Typically medications are necessary to manage osteoporosis pain. At this time, however, there are no medical procedures to treat the condition. Although, there are nonsurgical options available. They should be discussed with your physician. Additionally, treatment involves preventing further bone weakening, augmenting bone density. Thus, preventing bone fractures. And effectively managing the pain associated with it.

Prevention Tips:

Good nutrition and regular exercise are essential for healthy bones.

Protien is a building block for healthy bones. Most people get enough protein in their diets. However, some do not. For instance, elderly adults tend to not get enough protien.

Another way to prevent osteoporosis is by controlling your body weight. Through recent studies, though, we have learned that excess weight has an increased risk of fractures. On the other hand, being underweight increases your chance of bone loss. In conclusion, it’s important to stay active and live a healthy lifestyle to prevent osteoporosis.

Last but not lease is calcium. Men and women ages 18-50 need an intake of 1k milligrams of calcium a day. People over the age of 50, that icreases to 1200 milligrams. However, to prevent osteoporosis, we have listed good sources of calium, sucha as:

• Low-fat dairy products
• Dark green leafy vegetables
• Canned salmon or sardines with bones
• Soy products, such as tofu
• Calcium-fortified cereals and orange juice

Our Spine Surgeons at the Spine & Orthopedic Center treats osteoporosis in Boca Raton. For a preferred spine surgeon in Boca Raton, call 561-549-9090.