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A quick guide to Osteoporosis


 The word osteoporosis is the combination of two words "Osteo" and "Porosis". Osteo means bone and Porosis means pores or holes. So in osteoporosis, the bone becomes more porous, thin, weak, and less dense. The quality of bone, as well as strength of bone, is reduced in this disease. The chances of fracture and disability increase. If not treated early, then the person will experience pain and difficulty in performing everyday activities. It is also known as a silent disease as people don't even know that have osteoporosis till their bone is broken. 

What are the sign and symptoms of osteoporosis?

The signs do not appear at the beginning stage and till the bone breaks and because of that, it is also called a silent disease. After the weakening of bones due to osteoporosis the following signs and symptoms are produced:

  1. Pain in the back.
  2. Reduction of height.
  3. Shortening of breath. 
  4. The fracture will occur in the bone. 
  5. Curving of the spine. 
What is the cause of osteoporosis?
The trabecular bone is present inside the healthy bone which is sponge-like in shape. In osteoporosis, the holes grow very large in these sponges. In the human body, the bones are continuously destroyed and instead of that, the new bones are being formed. But after the age of 35, the bones destroy at a very fast rate than the building of bones. And because of that, bones mass is reduced in the body. 

What are the risk factors?

The following are some risk factors for osteoporosis:

1. Aging: As discussed earlier, the bones destroy at a very fast rate than the building of bones after the age of 30 to 35. So aging is the biggest risk to develop osteoporosis. 

2. Menopause: During menopause, the production of estrogen hormone slows. The estrogen restricts bone loss and in menopause, the body loses the bone more which ultimately increases the risk of osteoporosis. 

3. Genetics: You might have more chances of suffering from osteoporosis if your family member is already affected by it. 

4. Minimal Amount of Sex Hormone: When estrogen level decreases, the bone faces difficulty in hardening. 

5. Laziness: Sedentary lifestyle .i.e. remain inactive or immobile increases the risk of osteoporosis. 

How can we prevent occurring of osteoporosis?

We can prevent the occurring of osteoporosis by: 
  • Taking a calcium-rich diet or calcium-rich supplements. 
  • Taking vitamin D. 
  • Performing regular exercises.
  • Avoid jumping or falling. 
How to treat osteoporosis?

During the treatment, the bone density test is performed. In this test, the estimated risk of a bone-breaking is calculated. Usually, the medicines are not recommended if the estimated risk is low. The treatment directs the modification of signs and symptoms in low risk. If a high risk is estimated, then the following medications are recommended.:
  • Biphosphates: These drugs slow down the process of bone loss. These include Alendronate, Ibandronate, Risedronate, Zoledronic acid. 
  • Estrogen Agonists: Estrogen will help in maintaining bone density in women after menopause. 
If the estimated risk is low, then the focus of treatment will be: 
  • To decrease the pain.
  • Making slow the progress of osteoporosis. 
  • To keep up the healthful bone mineral density.
  • To increase the daily life activity of a patient. 
Physiotherapy of Osteoporosis:

The role of physiotherapy in treating osteoporosis is to decrease the pain and improve bone density as well as bone health. Following exercises are performed in the treatment:
  • Flexibility or strengthening exercise to improve the postural control as well as physical function so the risk of falling decreases. 
  • High-intensity training to prevent bone loss in women who are in the menopause period or has surpassed the menopause period. 
  • Postural exercise to maintain the posture. 
  • Weight-bearing exercises are useful in improving bone density. 
Conclusion: 
This article gives the basic knowledge of osteoporosis in which the bone becomes porous, weak, and less dense. Some symptoms are pain in the back, bone fracture, decrease in height, and shortness of breath. The common risk factors include aging, menopause, a sedentary lifestyle, and a decrease in estrogen level. The treatment for high estimated risk is the use of medications .i.e. biphosphates, and estrogen agonists. For the low estimated risk, the treatment will be a focus on decreasing the pain and increasing the bone mineral density. Hope you get more details of osteoporosis by reading this article. If you have any questions, or you want to share anything more about the related topic, you can mention it in the comment box.

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