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Osteoporosis & Dowager’s hump for spine

What is Osteoporosis?

Who gets osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is common around the world, and the risk increases with age. Anyone can get osteoporosis but women are about four times more likely than men to develop it. There are two main reasons for this:



What Are Symptoms and Signs of Osteoporosis?
Early in the course of the disease, osteoporosis may cause no symptoms. Later, it may cause height loss or dull pain in the bones or muscles, particularly low back pain or neck pain.
Later in the course of the disease, sharp pains may come on suddenly. The pain may not radiate (spread to other areas); it may be made worse by activity that puts weight on the area, may be accompanied by tenderness, and generally begins to subside in one week. Pain may linger more than three months.
People with osteoporosis may not even recall a fall or other trauma that might cause a broken bone, such as in the spine or foot. Spinal compression fractures may result in loss of height with a stooped posture (called a dowager’s hump).
Fractures at other sites, commonly the hip or bones of the wrist, usually result from a fall.

Can Any Foods Help Prevent Osteoporosis?
Many foods can help prevent osteoporosis. A number of scientific studies have shown that eating more fruits and vegetables leads to stronger bones. Low-fat dairy products are high in calcium, and many are fortified with vitamin D and help strengthen bones. Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines are high in vitamin D. Canned sardines and salmon (with bones) are high in calcium.

Is It Possible to Prevent Osteoporosis?

1) Eat a balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D and high in fruits and vegetables.
2) Engage in weight-bearing physical exercise.
3) Adopt a healthy lifestyle with no smoking or excessive alcohol intake.
4) Take medication to improve bone density when appropriate.

What Is the Medical Treatment for Osteoporosis?
Some 40% of women will experience a broken bone (fracture) due to osteoporosis during their lifetime. In those who have a vertebral fracture (in their back), one in five will suffer another vertebral fracture within one year. This condition potentially leads to more fractures. This is called a “fracture cascade.” The goal of treatment is to prevent fractures.




Causes for a dowager’s hump / hunchback
A dowager’s hump is usually caused by vertebral fractures due to osteoporosis. This is a metabolism-related skeletal disease that is also known as “bone loss”. Post-menopausal and elderly women are particularly affected. The earlier colloquial expression therefore for the hunchback associated with the disease is “dowager’s hump”.
In osteoporosis, the bones lose density and stability. Fractures are particularly common in the femur and spine. If the vertebral bodies collapse, it is referred to as “compression fractures”.

Symptoms of dowager’s hump / hunchback
The complaint of back pain is considered to be the main symptom of osteoporotic vertebral fracture. If there is acute back pain, then vertebral fractures are suspected – especially if the affected person is over 50 years old and there are risk factors for osteoporosis. In osteoporosis, pulmonary function may also be impaired by fractures (bone fractures) and curvature in the thoracic spine.

Treating dowager’s hump – hunchback
If the dowager’s hump is caused by osteoporosis, Spinomed back orthoses can be used to accompany the therapy. They activate the back muscles and can reduce the kyphosis angle (angle of curvature).
Find out more about http://lifeforcehub.com/orthopaedic/back-spine-hip/medi-spinomed/.

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