Osteoporosis is a disease that makes bones brittle and more likely to shatter; you may not know you have it until you break a bone. If you suffer from Osteoporosis, Bryn J. Henderson DO, JD. FACPE, CIME, and the team at Regenerative Medical Group, located in Orange, California, offer safe and effective therapies. Book online or call one of the offices today to learn more about our services for Osteoporosis.
Globally, osteoporosis is thought to affect about 200 million individuals. The number is approximately 54 million in the United States. Even though both men and women can get osteoporosis, women are four times more likely to do so than men.
The disease of osteoporosis is silent. You may be aware of it once you break a bone. A bone mineral density test is the most accurate technique to assess your bone health.
What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis weakens bones, making them brittle and more likely to break. Osteoporosis translates to "porous bone."
In many cases, the disease progresses without warning or pain and is typically only detected when the patient is frail. Most of these are fractures of the hip, wrist, and spine.
More than two million fractures yearly are caused by osteoporosis, which is rising. You can take measures to guard against developing osteoporosis. If you have osteoporosis, treatments can also delay the rate of bone loss.
What causes Osteoporosis?
What are the risk factors?
Unchangeable risks
- Age
- Body frame size
- Family history
- Race
- Your sex
Hormone levels
- Sex hormones
- Thyroid problems
- Other glands
Dietary factors
- Low calcium intake
- Eating disorders
- Gastrointestinal surgery
Steroids and other medications
- Side effects of drugs used to treat or prevent osteoporosis:
- Seizures
- Gastric reflux
- Cancer
- Transplant rejection
Medical conditions
- Celiac disease
- Cancer
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Kidney or liver disease
- Multiple myeloma
- Rheumatoid arthritis
What are the symptoms of Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis typically shows no symptoms. It is sometimes referred to as a silent sickness for this reason. However, be on the lookout for the following:
- Loss of height.
- Change in posture.
- Shortness of breath.
- Bone fractures.
- Pain in the lower back.
How is Osteoporosis diagnosed?
We at RMG provide Bone mineral density (BMD) tests, also known as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA or DXA) scans. These X-rays use minimal radiation to determine how solid the spine, hip, or wrist bones are. Regular X-rays will only show osteoporosis when the disease is very advanced.
DEXA scan helps in –
- Accessing your bone strength
- Calculating your bone density
- Measuring fat mass
- Diagnosing osteoporosis & osteopenia
- Predicting the risk of future fractures
- Checking osteoporosis treatment efficiency
When should a DEXA Scan be considered?
A DEXA scan should be performed on all women over 65. The DEXA scan may be performed sooner for females with osteoporosis risk factors. Consider obtaining a bone density test if you're a man over 70 or younger with risk factors. You may also be eligible for the scan if you:
- Have a very low body weight
- Have had one or more fractures after the age of 50
- Have lost a half inch or more in height within one year
- Have a family history of osteoporosis
- Lifestyle factors: Alcohol abuse, High salt intake, Low calcium intake, Excess vitamin A, Frequent falling, less physical activity, Smoking, Vitamin D insufficiency
- Hypogondal states: Hypogonadism, Premature menopause (
- Endocrine disorders: Central obesity, Diabetes mellitus (Types 1 & 2)
- Gastrointestinal disorders: Inflammatory bowel disease, Pancreatic disease, Gastrointestinal surgery
- Rheumatologic & Auto immune disorder: autoimmune diseases, Rheumatoid arthritis
- Neurological & Musculoskeletal risk: Muscular dystrophy, stroke, Parkinson’s disease
- Some other risk factors: Depression,Weight loss, COPD, Kidney or liver disease
What are the services provided at RMG?
We provide Bone health IV Therapy, Physical Rehab and a routine evaluation to track progress. Physical Rehab includes a set of muscle-strengthening exercises that helps to enhance strength, endurance, and mobility – if you have functional limitations or require extended physical conditioning.
To schedule a consultation or an evaluation, please contact us at 714-639-4013.
