Osteoporosis is a disease that affects bone health and weakens bones in the body, and as a result the body loses too much bone, makes too little bone, or both. In advanced stages, bones become weak and may break from a fall.
Osteoporosis means “porous bone.” Osteoporotic bones have lost density or mass and contain abnormal tissue structure. As bones become less dense, they weaken and are more likely to break.
Although osteoporosis doesn’t affect only the bones in the spine, but those in the entire body, this article will focus mainly on addressing issues related to osteoporosis of the spine.
Osteoporosis undoubtedly affects the entire body of a person, but it can have an especially negative impact on the spine because of the following reasons:
- As the bones of the spine weaken, they can collapse and affect other parts of the body. Namely, they can compress spinal discs and nerve roots. When this happens, nerve roots can trigger the pain sensors in the spine, causing the person to feel pain. In other words, there is a higher chance of suffering from back pain that from pain in other parts of the body because of this disease.
- The spine is responsible for holding our torso and upper body in an upright position, and when the spinal column is weakened, it cannot perform this function properly anymore, making it difficult for the sufferer to maintain their balance or even walk in some cases.
Symptoms
Typically, there are no symptoms or signs of osteoporosis in the early stages, but once the bones have been weakened, people with osteoporosis may experience symptoms that include:
- Back pain that can be caused either by spinal compression, a fracture at the level of the spine, or even the collapse of a vertebral body.
- Loss of height due to the spinal column’s lack of strength and inability to support the weight of the upper body.
- A curved back that sits in a slouched posture, which is linked to the lack of strength of spinal bones to sustain the torso.
- A bone fracture that occurs much more easily than expected, which can affect any part of the body, and can lead not only to spinal fractures, but also leg or hip fractures, for example.
Why do we get Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis tends to occur in the aging population, although not everyone will develop it. There are certain risk factors that increase the risk of developing this disease, such as:
- Aging is the primary factor that leads to osteoporosis, primarily because as we age, our bodies do not regenerate bone tissue at the same rate as before. The older someone gets, the slower the bone regeneration process becomes, and thus the chances of developing this disease are increased.
- Changing hormone levels, which are closely tied with age, especially for women. The changes that occur with menopause affect bone health.
- Thyroid problems.
- Other glands. Osteoporosis has also been associated with overactive parathyroid and adrenal glands.
- Low calcium and Vitamin D intake. Without sufficient Vitamin D, the body cannot absorb calcium effectively, and as such, simply consuming foods or taking supplements with Calcium is not enough.
- Eating disorders, which affect the supply of sufficient nutrients to the body.
- Gastrointestinal surgery.
- Genetics may make some people more prone to losing bone tissue, if someone else in the family has been diagnosed with this disease.
- Steroids and other medications.
- Medical conditions such as :Celiac disease, Inflammatory bowel disease, Kidney or liver disease, Cancer, Lupus, Multiple myeloma, Rheumatoid arthritis.
- A sedentary lifestyle.
- Excessive alcohol consumption.
- Tobacco use affects the structure of the bones and tends to weaken them over time.
Back Pain Issues
Osteoporosis itself does not cause back pain. However, osteoporosis can weaken the vertebral body (spine) so that it can no longer withstand normal stress or a minor trauma (e.g. a fall), resulting in a fracture. In fact, a fracture is typically the first outward sign of the disease, and advanced osteoporosis is potentially very painful and disabling.
Treatment and Prevention
Before any treatment is employed, the patient should get a diagnosis from a doctor. This process involves taking a history, as having a family history of osteoporosis makes one more likely to develop it themselves, as well as having a bone density test, that detects the density of the bone tissue within the body.
Treating osteoporosis can involve two types of treatment, one that focuses on preventing the progression of the disease, and another one that alleviates some of the symptoms that it causes.
The first type of treatment involves the use of a type of medication called ‘Bisphosphonates’, which are administered either as a pill or in the form of an injection. They are used to reduce the rate at which bone is broken down in your body but can take quite long to work and need to be taken for several years to see a positive effect.
On the other hand, managing or treating the symptoms, or more specifically the (back) pain that this disease brings about is achieved through various home remedies such as taking pain medication or applying hot or cold fomentation to the region of the back that tends to hurt.
Preventing osteoporosis starts at an early age. It involves lifestyle changes such as maintaining a healthy weight, consuming a healthy diet, giving up smoking and engaging in exercises to strengthen and produce healthy bone tissue.
Resistance, stretching, strengthening and weight-bearing exercises are all great for improving your bone health and preventing the onset of osteoporosis at an advanced age, and also for improving your overall health in general.
Additionally, one treatment option for back pain caused by this disease is that of spinal decompression therapy, which can help stretch out the spine, and release any nerves that may be trapped because of a collapsed spinal column. Using a spinal decompression device such as the Backrack is easy and does not require great physical strength as all exercises are performed while laying down.
Caution: However, although this device can be used by people with osteoporosis, it is contraindicated to people who currently have a fracture along their spine.
Non-Invasive Treatment for Spinal Decompression
Please note: this article is for educational purposes only. If your symptoms do not improve, or they get worse, seek immediate medical attention, especially if other symptoms such as a fever, chills, a sudden onset of intense pain, tenderness along the back, or a visible deformity of the spine.
Author: Spinal Backrack
