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Osteoporosis
What should I do if osteoporosis is severe?
The severity of osteoporosis manifests as fractures, which are caused by increased brittleness. The principle of treatment varies based on the location of the fracture. Different methods are chosen accordingly. However, it is important to first reposition the fracture and then strengthen internal fixation. After fixation, patients should be advised to engage in appropriate functional exercises. During these exercises, medications for treating osteoporosis should be administered, such as increasing the intake of calcium or vitamin D. Additionally, medications that promote bone absorption and inhibit bone loss should be used for symptomatic treatment.
Which department should I go to for osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis should be treated in the endocrinology department. First, let's understand what osteoporosis is. Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease characterized by decreased bone mass, destruction of bone microstructure, increased bone fragility, and susceptibility to fractures. Osteoporosis can generally be divided into two types: primary and secondary. Primary osteoporosis is also known as postmenopausal osteoporosis and senile osteoporosis, and postmenopausal osteoporosis is the most common type, directly related to the lack of estrogen. Therefore, osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease and belongs to metabolic disorders, so it should be treated in the endocrinology department.
How is osteoporosis diagnosed?
How to check for osteoporosis? Currently, in clinical practice, there is no single instrument or technology that can definitively determine whether you have osteoporosis. Therefore, the examination for osteoporosis involves measuring bone density and bone markers, or combining these two methods to achieve a joint diagnosis. What is the gold standard for bone density measurement? It is DXA, which stands for Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry. Through the measurement of this instrument, a Z-score and T-score will be obtained, among which the T-score is mainly used as the diagnostic indicator, while the Z-score is primarily considered for differential diagnosis. Secondly, bone markers are tested, and large hospitals, especially tertiary hospitals, perform this test very well. So, if you suspect that you have osteoporosis and want to know what tests to take? These two tests would be sufficient.
Dietary taboos for osteoporosis
Dietary therapy for osteoporosis is an important treatment method. First, eat foods that are high in calcium. Second, consume high protein diets; third, moderately supplement vitamins. Avoid high-salt diets, because the main component of salt, sodium chloride, affects bone metabolism. Sodium chloride primarily increases the excretion of calcium, meaning that higher levels of sodium chloride lead to higher levels of calcium excretion. Therefore, high sodium diets can increase the amount of calcium excreted in urine; excessive intake of sodium chloride can lead to further loss of calcium. Thus, it is essential to focus on a low-sodium diet.
What should be supplemented for osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a systemic disease characterized by decreased bone density, loss of bone mass, and increased bone fragility, which can lead to an increased risk of fractures. It is divided into primary and secondary types. The primary type primarily affects postmenopausal women and is caused by age-related degeneration. Adolescents can also be affected, though it is mainly postmenopausal women and age-related degeneration that lead to osteoporosis. Managing osteoporosis involves not only supplementing with calcium but also with vitamin D, as hormonal levels in postmenopausal women decrease, leading to lower calcium absorption. This could result in bone destruction exceeding bone formation. Therefore, it is important to maintain high levels of calcium and increase vitamin D absorption to prevent the onset of osteoporosis.
Does osteoporosis hurt?
The clinical manifestations of osteoporosis include three main points. The first is pain, thus osteoporosis will definitely cause pain. This pain may be localized or it may be widespread. The second is spinal deformation, which can result in forward bending of the spine, scoliosis, or even spinal shortening, which is a reduction in height. The third point is pathological fractures, which are characteristic of osteoporosis. These fractures occur due to insufficient bone strength caused by osteoporosis, and sometimes even low energy or minor external forces can cause fractures, such as pulling a door or being struck by a car door. Therefore, osteoporosis definitely involves pain, and pain is one of the main symptoms of osteoporosis.
Differences between bone hyperplasia and osteoporosis
Bone hyperplasia and osteoporosis are quite different. Firstly, bone hyperplasia occurs due to long-term stress and degeneration of joints, including the lumbar spine, causing the bones around the joints to harden and proliferate, forming bone spurs. On the other hand, osteoporosis mainly results from decalcification and calcium deficiency, leading to weakened or porous bones. These bones are brittle and can easily fracture under trauma. As for the treatment of these two diseases, conservative treatment is mainly used for bone hyperplasia, such as acupuncture, physiotherapy, massage, oral blood-activating and pain-relieving medications, to alleviate local symptoms. Treatment for osteoporosis primarily involves oral medications, such as calcium supplements and vitamin D3, along with exposure to sunlight. Of course, some patients suffer from osteoporosis due to long-term disuse, as seen in patients with hemiplegia who are unable to walk for extended periods, leading to disuse osteoporosis. These patients also need to strengthen their routine functional exercises, such as undergoing suitable rehabilitation to enhance bone strength. (Please use medication under the guidance of a professional physician.)
Does osteoporosis cause pain?
Osteoporosis can be painful, and the clinical manifestations of osteoporosis are threefold: first, pain; second, vertebral deformation; third, fragile fractures. Pain is the earliest symptom of osteoporosis, which can be localized pain, generalized pain, aching pain, or dull pain. Therefore, for older individuals or women around the time of menopause, if there is unexplained pain, and no primary or secondary lesions can be found, osteoporosis should be considered. In fact, the examination for osteoporosis is quite simple. Currently, the most commonly used clinical examinations are radiological and biochemical tests. In radiological tests, DXA, which stands for Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry, is the gold standard for clinical diagnosis. In addition, some bone markers can be tested, making diagnosis fairly straightforward. Therefore, osteoporosis can be painful, and if there is unexplained generalized pain in conjunction with age and gender, osteoporosis should be considered.
Clinical symptoms of osteoporosis
The clinical symptoms of osteoporosis, in mild cases, may result in no discomfort at all. As the condition worsens gradually, pain may surface in the lumbar and back areas, or even aches throughout the body. This commonly intensifies after physical exertion or activity, leading to a decline in weight-bearing capability, or even an inability to bear weight. The second symptom is a reduction in height and shrinking stature, commonly due to vertebral compression fractures, which can be solitary or multiple, occurring with or without a specific cause. The third symptom involves fragile fractures, which can occur from minimal activities or traumas, like bending, bearing weight, compression, or falling. These are commonly known as brittle fractures, which are clinical manifestations of osteoporosis.
How much calcium should be supplemented daily for osteoporosis?
Every day, the calcium requirement for the human body is 800mg for adults. For patients diagnosed with osteoporosis, the daily calcium supplementation required is between 1000mg and 1200mg. There are many calcium formulations on the market, such as calcium carbonate, liquid calcium, and calcium citrate. Each manufacturer produces different types of calcium, and the content of trace elements of calcium varies, so it cannot be generalized. Therefore, patients with osteoporosis who buy different types of calcium should follow the instructions of different medications when taking them. In addition to calcium supplementation, patients with osteoporosis must also remember to supplement with vitamin D daily.