Watch your step
When we get a diagnosis of this bone condition it’s usually because a bone mineral density test (BMD) reveals that our bones have become weak through loss of cells. It’s a natural process but when we lose too many bone cells we can suffer from fractures much more easily. We may get offered medication to help reverse the cell loss, and we’ll probably be given dietary tips too, as well as home assessments to see if our environment is safe and free of tripping hazards. But, some of us only know we have brittle bones when we’re in hospital with a fractured hip, for example, as osteoporosis doesn’t cause too many symptoms before a fall.
Importance of posture
Back problems are linked to osteoporosis, so if we regularly suffer from sciatica then this could indicate we may need a BMD test. Sciatica can be the result of our vertebrae becoming squashed together because weakened bones can no longer take our weight like they used to. This may then lead to small breakages in back bones, called compression fractures. The first sign this has happened is we actually become smaller, and our posture in general could stoop or change. Although this sounds painful we may not experience any pain at this point, but it’s a good idea to get checked out by the doctor to prevent further problems. Eventually pain is likely to result from these kinds of back problems and once the nerves are irritated by vertebrae changes then we may get full blown sciatica due to brittle bones in our back.