Osteoporosis treatment in Birmingham, AL helps patients prevent fractures and further bone loss. It emphasizes lifestyle changes that can help patients remain strong, healthy, and mobile.
What Is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis,
which means “porous bone,” is a disease in which the bones become
thinner and weaker. A person’s bones “remodel” themselves
throughout their lifetime. During remodeling, the body reabsorbs old
bone cells and replaces them with new ones. In a patient with
osteoporosis, the body loses bone cells faster than it can replace
them. Consequently, the patient’s bones become thinner and
weaker.
Unfortunately, people can’t feel their bones getting
weaker, and many patients don’t even realize something is wrong
until they fracture something. People with osteoporosis are
especially prone to fractures of the wrist, spine, and hip.
Who
Is Most at Risk?
Osteoporosis
is most common in adults over 50, and it is particularly common in
women who have passed through menopause. Osteoporosis also runs in
families. Certain conditions can increase the risk of developing
osteoporosis; examples include COPD, kidney disease, and rheumatoid
arthritis. Men with low testosterone levels also have an increased
risk of developing osteoporosis.
What
Is A Bone Density Test?
A bone density test is a type of X-ray used to diagnose osteoporosis and determine the risk of developing osteoporosis or breaking a bone. The doctor will compare the results to those of a healthy thirty-year-old and calculate a T-score. The lower the T-score, the more likely it is that the patient has osteoporosis.
The doctor will also order a bone density test if the patient has been undergoing treatment for osteoporosis. In this case, they want to see how well the patient is responding to treatment.
The doctor will recommend a bone density test to any patient who has broken a bone and is over 50 years old. They will also recommend a bone density test to patients with risk factors or who have reached a certain age.
Contact Southlake Orthopaedics to learn more about osteoporosis treatment in Birmingham, AL or call us +1 (205) 985-4111.
