Osteoporosis & Spinal Compression Fractures

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 50% of women over age 65 will develop spinal compression fractures due to osteoporosis.

Instead of waiting to break a hip or acquire a spinal compression fracture to discover that you’ve got osteoporosis, you can recognize the many signs of brittle-bone disease by looking closely at your family history and background.

Osteoporosis can occur in association with a number of medical conditions and create symptoms such as intense back pain. In addition, certain prescription drugs, excessive alcohol intake, and cigarette smoking may increase the likelihood of developing bone loss.

Health Problems Associated With Osteoporosis

Thyroid Dysfunction: Hormones from the thyroid gland regulate the speed of body functions. The medications used to treat hypothyroidism (under active thyroid) may be a contributing factor in the development of osteoporosis. An overactive gland also causes bone loss. Therefore, people with thyroid disorders must take special care to provide for the health of their bones.

Arthritis: Osteoporosis tends to be worse in people with rheumatoid arthritis. People with rheumatoid arthritis tend to have calcium deficiencies, are less active due to pain, and take medications that may interfere with calcium absorption. In addition, ongoing steroid use may result in bone loss.

Diabetes: In the first six years after diabetes has become severe enough to take insulin shots daily, there is an increased loss of bone, leading to osteoporosis. If diabetes worsens and insulin must be increased, then resorption also increases.

Medications: Drugs may be a direct cause of weak bones, but more often they aggravate an existing problem with osteoporosis. Antacids containing aluminum interfere with calcium metabolism. Drugs used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure and other related conditions are called diuretics. These drugs often increase calcium loss in the urine, increasing the concern that the loss could weaken bones. Cortisone drugs are the worst for osteoporosis. People who take steroids over long periods of time often develop severe forms of osteoporosis.

Smoking: Complicated symptomatic osteoporosis is common among smokers. Smokers often suffer chronic cough and this may cause loss of bladder control during exercise, resulting in reduced physical activity, increasing the likeliness of osteoporosis. Nicotine and tobacco resin residues may also increase the loss of calcium through the urine. Smoking interferes with normal circulation, and bones cannot undergo the remodeling and repair processes necessary to maintain strength.

Alcohol: Alcoholics and people who drink regularly have problems with osteoporosis. Alcohol in the intestines decreases absorption of calcium. Since alcohol irritates the stomach, drinkers tend to take more antacids. Alcohol also poisons the liver, which converts vitamin D to its active form. Without vitamin D, calcium absorption is impaired.

Chronic Illnesses: Because chronic illness is associated with decreased activity and increased need for medication, the prevalence of osteoporosis in patients with chronic illnesses is high

If you can identify health problems for which you may be at risk, then you can supplement your nutritional and medication guidelines to maintain healthy bones and prevent osteoporosis. In addition, a preventative exercise prescription needs to be implemented.

To achieve back pain relief, the Erase Your Back Pain program utilizes the functional restoration approach in the treatment of many conditions that affect the spine, including osteoporosis. In doing so, we have helped our clients achieve a greater than 90% success rate.

To learn more on how we might help you, or someone you know, avoid spinal compression fractures and osteoporosis achieve a better quality of life, check out these specialized back pain exercises here: End My Back Pain.

Even if you choose not to pursue my program, you will be more informed and less likely to tolerate ineffective and time wasting treatment remedies. Here’s more information on osteoporosis risk factors that may be of interest to you: Osteoporosis Risk Factors

If you’ve got a question or comment, please let me hear from you. Just fill in the form below.

Dedicated to Erasing your Back Pain,

Malton A. Schexneider, PT, MMSc
The Back Pain Expert