Osteoporosis and Osteopenia
Most of us have heard of osteoporosis, but perhaps we don’t completely understand what it is. We might never have heard of osteopenia.
Osteoporosis Basics
Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones become less dense and more fragile. If you look at the cross section of a bone, you will find that rather than being a solid material, it has tiny holes throughout the centre. The outer layer, in contrast, is solid. Healthy bone has these holes too, but the bone overall has a certain level of density. If this density drops below a specific threshold, as diagnosed on a special x-ray image, it may lead to a diagnosis of osteopenia. If it drops below the next threshold, it might be osteoporosis.
Bone density is determined by a number of factors, such as:
- diet
- demand on the bone
- genetics
- hormones
People commonly affected by low bone density include peri- and post-menopausal women. The drop in oestrogen plays a big role in this. However it is worth noting that at this time of life, people are often not as active as they would like to be, and may spend long hours sitting at a desk. Exercise is crucial to good bone density, specifically weight bearing exercise.
Load Bearing and Bone Health
Bone is living tissue, just like skin. Whereas new skin grows from below the surface and old skin flakes off over time, bone is replenished differently. Some cells have a role of breaking down old bone tissue, and others build more. The body is adaptable, and if the demands placed on it lead it to think that maintaining bone density is inefficient, these cells will work out of balance. The cells that break down bone will work faster than those that rebuild it.
By engaging in load bearing exercise, the message is sent to the body that density is important. This encourages it to increase the output of the cells that rebuild bone.
Management of Osteoporosis or Osteopenia
We cannot cure osteoporosis, but we need to know if you have it as it might alter the treatments that are appropriate and safe for you. Thinking more holistically, we can help you to manage your low bone density by helping to keep you moving. If you have muscle, joint, or nerve pain that prevents you from exercising, we can work to get you back to it.
In terms of medication, your doctor may want to give you bisphosphates and a calcium supplement. These are medications that are absorbed by the body and sent to bone to be laid down among the organic bone. It is worth noting that the body absorbs the most calcium from food when there is sufficient vitamin D available. Vitamin D deficiency is high in the UK, especially during winter when we can’t synthesise as much from sunlight. Fortunately, this can be easily diagnosed with a blood test. If your bone density issues are associated with menopause, you may also be offered HRT.