Posts Tagged broken bones
Osteoporosis – Are You at Risk?
There is no doubt that osteoporosis is a disabling disease with one third of women and 8 percent of men having a lifetime risk of developing it. Osteoporosis is a gradual weakening of the bones caused by a reduction in bone density.
Unfortunately it has virtually no outward symptoms until it is well established, hence it’s nickname of the ’silent killer’. With osteoporosis your bones become fragile and brittle and so are easily broken. As more severe bone loss occurs, then even minor accidents can result in fractures, most frequently in the spine, wrist, hip and pelvis. If the condition becomes advanced, and is untreated, then the vertebrae of the spine are prone to compression fractures, which affect surrounding nerves and organs. This also results in a loss of height for which the old nickname was ‘the dowager’s hump’ as it was frequently seen in the bent over posture of old ladies. It is also accompanied by chronic pain.
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