The best treatment for Osteoporosis should include an exercise programme prescribed by a practitioner with expertise in Osteoporosis, pharmacological treatment (medicine) where appropriate and lifestyle changes.  It is also important that a thorough medical assessment is carried out to establish the reason(s) for the bone loss, so that the right type of treatment can be started. 

Yes.  People often get these terms confused as they both start with “osteo”, but they are completely different problems.  Osteoporosis is where the strength of the bones weakens, and people are at a greater likelihood of breaking a bone (fracture.)  Osteoarthritis is a type of degenerative joint disease where you get a breakdown of the cartilage at joints and the underlying bone.  With osteoarthritis, symptoms can include joint stiffness and pain, whereas lots of people don’t know that they have bone loss or osteoporosis until they sustain a fracture.  This is why osteoporosis is often referred to as a silent disease as people don’t realise that they have it until they break a bone (fracture.) Treatment for osteoporosis is outlined above, whereas treatment for osteoarthritis will often include manual therapy to reduce pain and improve range of movement, a different type of exercise, and even joint replacement if the osteoarthritis is advanced. 

Thankfully our understanding of osteoporosis and the best type of treatment for osteoporosis has really improved with the advancement of medical research. According to the Irish Hip Fracture Database, 1 in 20 of those admitted to hospital with a hip fracture in 2020 died before discharge from hospital, so it is really important to do everything possible to optimise your bone health and avoid a fracture in the first place.  The best type of treatment is prevention.  Don’t wait until you break (fracture) a bone before you seek treatment for your osteoporosis!

Osteoporosis is often referred to as a silent disease as many people do not realise that they have bone loss until they fracture a bone.  Some indicators that you may have bone loss would be that you’re losing height or that the top of your spine is getting more rounded.    If you’ve any of the following risk factors: deficient in Vit D (very common amongst the Irish population), have Rheumatoid Arthritis, don’t do weight bearing exercise or over exercise, are a smoker, drink more than 3 units of alcohol/day, are over or under weight, have had a low trauma fracture (broken a bone from a trip or a fall), are post-menopausal, are on certain medications, have problems with your thyroid, have gut absorption problems (e.g. coeliac), if one of your parents fractured their hip, are female, have a small frame etc.  Although long this list is not exhaustive. If you are a woman over the age of 65, a man over the age of 70 or have two or more risk factors, you should have your bone density measured by being referred for a DEXA scan by your doctor.  Don’t wait until you have pain from a broken bone to act. 

A DEXA or DXA scan stands for Dual X-ray Absorptiometry.  It’s a very similar process to having a regular X-ray and is totally painless. It is the test used to measure the density or strength of your bones. 

You should discuss this with a doctor with expertise in treating Osteoporosis.  Although exercise is a crucial part of promoting bone health and preventing fracture, for many people, exercise and modifying lifestyle is not enough and medication is an essential part of restoring bone health.   Bone health is so important.  Keep an open mind and listen to the experts.