We asked Sarah Leyland, osteoporosis nurse and helpline supervisor for the National Osteoporosis Society, what she would want to know if she was diagnosed with osteoporosis.
How do I know what type of osteoporosis I have?
Ask your doctor to explain your diagnosis and what your X-rays are showing. If your X-ray is showing squashed bones in the spine, you may have ‘established osteoporosis’. Bones that look porous (spongy) may be an indication of low bone density and, if your bone density is significantly lower than normal, osteoporosis.
What sort of exercise can I do to strengthen my bones?
Do some weight-bearing exercise, such as brisk walking or climbing stairs, which pulls on your skeleton, stimulating your bone cells and improving bone strength. Choose exercise you enjoy, because you'll need to do it throughout your life.
Why do I have to stop smoking?
Smoking slows down the activity of bone-building cells, which increases your risk of osteoporotic fractures (broken bones). Smoking and drinking excessive amounts of coffee and alcohol can also increase the calcium lost from the body. We need calcium for optimum bone strength.
Should I take vitamin supplements to strengthen my bones?
You’ll need to make sure you're getting enough calcium and other minerals and vitamins, such as magnesium, B vitamins and vitamin K. You probably don’t need to take supplements to get all these nutrients. A well-balanced, calcium-rich diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables will give your bones all the goodness they need and can help to reduce the loss of calcium in the body caused by some foods. Calcium is easily available in dairy foods, and is also found in dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, pulses and bony fish.
Do I have to take medication?
Not everyone with osteoporosis needs a drug treatment. However, if you're at high risk of bone breakages or fractures, your doctor will recommend the right treatment. You'll usually need to have this treatment on a long-term basis.
What should I do if I experience side effects from my medication?
Talk to your doctor. Alendronic acid is the cheapest osteoporosis drug treatment, and probably as effective as any other, so it's likely to be your doctor’s first choice. However, there are other options available.
If you have had a spinal fracture (compressed bones in the spine) caused by osteoporosis, Sarah has this advice.
- You won’t be paralysed, but you can be in a lot of pain. Remember, these fractures heal like any other broken bone, so the pain should ease after six to eight weeks. Talk to your doctor about the range of pain relieving drugs that can help. You may also want to consider other therapies, such as heat, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), relaxation techniques and complementary therapies. Everyone recovers differently, so don’t be too hard on yourself if it takes a little longer to get back to normal.
- Bed rest is not going to help your spine to heal. Although you might need to rest in the first few days, gradually try to increase the amount of gentle exercise you do each day. Bed rest will, over time, increase your loss of bone density and reduce your muscle strength, so it’s best to avoid long periods of immobility.
- Long-term discomfort and pain is often caused by curvature and shortening of the spine. This can happen as your healed bones don't return to their previous shape, leaving you with muscle spasm and ligament strain. Exercise to increase muscle strength, as well as supporting the spine, can help. Ask your doctor for a physiotherapy referral for specific advice. If the pain persists and is disabling, you could ask your doctor for a referral to a specialist pain clinic or pain-management course.
- Be as positive as you can. Most people recover well from these compression fractures in the spine and return to a good quality of life.
