Osteoporosis Facts

Symptoms

• Back pain and, less commonly, pain in the chest, hip, wrist and pelvic area.
• Pain that is mechanical in nature, although it may appear spontaneously or be caused by effort or trauma.
• Loss of height (due to the compression of the spinal column).
• Increased tendency to suffer fractures after relatively minor falls.

Treatments

To begin, treatment for osteoporosis will focus on medications to slow bone loss and reduce the risk of fractures, as well as lifestyle changes to improve general wellbeing.Your doctor may recommend the same approach if you've got osteopenia. For severe cases and fractures, surgery may be an option.

Medications:

You already know that calcium is important for helping your body make bone tissue, but how much do you need? Adults up to age 50 require 1000mg of calcium daily; postmenopausal women (and men over age 65) should get 1200-1500mg a day. If dietary sources aren't enough, add calcium supplements.