Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is the most common form of arthritis. It is caused by damage to the joints. It can be brought on by a number of things including joint injury, other forms of arthritis and excess pressure on the joints caused by obesity.

Types of Osteoporosis:

• Primary: depends on the thickness of the bones
• Secondary: occurs as a result of having certain medical conditions, such as hyperthyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, leukemia - it may also occur as a result of taking medicines known to cause bone breakdown
• Ontogenesis: is present at birth and causes bones to break for no apparent reason 
• Idiopathic juvenile: Occurs between ages 8-14 or during times of rapid growth - there is too kittle bone formation or excessive bone loss - increases the risk of fractures

Bone formation and bone destruction run concurrently throughout life. Bone is living tissue. Bone is constantly breaking down and rebuilding itself. As we age bone turnover changes. The rate of growth decreases while removal of old bone continues, which leads to bone loss. During the early adult to middle age years, the rate of formation pretty much equals the rate of destruction. Between the ages of about thirty-five and forty, bone loss exceeds bone gain.

Osteoporosis means "pours bone" and is characterized by a reduction in bone density accompanied by increasing porosity (porosity is defined as being full of tiny holes that water or air can get through) and brittleness associated with loss of calcium from the bones. Osteoporosis is a painful and crippling disease. As you get older, bones become thin and brittle. You may become shorter because the bones in your spine collapse, leaving you with a hump on your back. The causes of osteoporosis may include many years of deficient intake, deficient calcium absorption or both. 

Calcium gives firmness and rigidity to bones and teeth from the gastrointestinal tract. Large quantities of corn, bread, and rice may lead to decreased absorption. The average American diet consists of "junk food" with very little calcium or nutrition in it. You may or may not drink soft drinks, but what about tea and coffee? Many people are on different types of steroids, they get little or no exercise, and/or they are on hormonal therapy. All this and more can affect the utilization of calcium.

Some risks factors for osteoporosis:

• Gender-osteoporosis is much more common in women
• Family history of osteoporosis
• Going through, or having gone through , menopause. Menopause can cause a sharp decline in estrogen
• Smoking and/or drinking alcohol reduces the body's absorption of calcium
• Lack of exercise like walking, jogging, and other forms of exercise subject bones to stress. Bones respond by laying down more collagen, fibers, and mineral salts in the bone matrix. This, in turn, makes bones strong.
• Eating fewer than three servings of dairy foods each day

For proper utilization of the calcium you get from your diet and/or added supplements, you need magnesium, Vitamin D, and zinc (but not in mega amounts). Magnesium is for bone strength and is required to ensure proper calcium utilization. Vitamin D facilitates adequate absorption. Zinc is needed to assist with bone calcification.

A bone scan is used to measure bone density and determine your risk of developing a fracture. A bone scan gives a score that is used to compare the density of your bone to that of a young healthy woman. This is referred to as a t=score. The lower the bone density, the lower the t=score, and the higher the risk of fracture.

A lot of things you see in diabetes you will also see in osteoporosis. While the relationship is complex, osteoarthritis and diabetes may feed into each other in a vicious cycle -- with progression of diabetes contributing to worsening osteoporosis, and vice versa.

Painkillers and corticosteroids may be prescribed to treat painful symptoms. There are non-drug treatments which would include massage, acupuncture, heat or cold compresses, and nutritional supplements. You should check with your doctor to see if they have any newer treatments.