The State Of Your Bones

Osteoporosis literally means ‘porous bones’ and is often referred to as the fragile bone disease. It is a term used to describe low bone density as measured on a bone density scan. This means your bones may have lost strength. Fractures that occur because of r educed bone str ength are described as ‘fragility fractures’ and many of these will be caused by osteopor osis. One in two women and one in five men over the age of 50 experience fractures, mostly as a result of low bone strength. Although fragility fractures caused by osteoporosis can happen in various parts of the body, the wrists, hips and spine ar e the most commonly affected sites. Osteoporosis is often known as “the silent thief” because bone loss occurs without symptoms. This condition is sometimes confused with osteoarthritis, because the names are similar. Osteoporosis is a bone disease; osteoarthritis is a disease of the joints and surrounding tissue. When bones become severely weakened by osteopor osis, simple movements – such as bending over to pick up a heavy bag of groceries or sneezing forcefully – can lead to br oken bones. Hip, spine and wrist fractures are the most common fractures associated with osteoporosis. tion. If you are a man, you might be thinking osteoporosis can’t affect you as it’s a ‘women’s problem, but, in fact, one in five men break a bone after the age of 50 years because of low bone strength. Younger men and women before the menopause can also, but more unusually, have osteoporosis and fractures. Usually an underlying condition or reason is identified but sometimes no cause is found.

If you are someone with very fragile bones, a fracture of one or more of the spinal bones can occasionally occur after an awkward movement such as reaching up to a cupboard. Unlike hip fractures, which happen when you fall, spinal fractures can occur following everyday activities of daily living such as bending or stooping. of specialized “pins and plates,” but can also involve hip replacement surgery. The visit to your physician, would give you more details on treatments to be employed, and effective medications that are available, to be taken under strict supervision. OSTEOARTHRITIS, is the most common form of arthritis. It is a degenerative joint disease that involves thinning or destruction of the smooth cartilage that covers the ends of bones, as well as changes to the bone underlying the joint cartilage. Osteoarthritis produces pain, stiffness and reduced movement of the affected joint, which ultimately affects ones ability to do physical activities, reducing quality of life. Osteoarthritis most often affects the hips, knees, fingers(i.e., base of the thumb, tips and middle joints of the fingers),feet or spine. It affects each joint differently, and symptoms are easy to overlook. It can be painful – the pain may result from overuse of a joint, prolonged immobility or painful bony growth in finger joints . The risks factors that can contribute to the development of osteoarthritis include family history, physical inactivity, excess weight and overuse or injury of joints.

Osteoarthritis can be managed with the use of joint protection (decreasing the amount of work the joint has to do), exercise, pain relief medication, heat and cold tr eatments, and weight control. Severe arthritis may be treated with an operation, where damaged joints are replaced with an artificial implant. Knee and hip joint replacements are commonly performed. Regular weight bearing exercises are useful, but this may be difficult with arthritis. It is best to seek the help of a physiotherapist, for professional care.