WHAT IS OSTEOPOROSIS?

Osteoporosis is a disease of the bone that makes a person’s bones weak and more likely to break. Approximately 10 million Americans have osteoporosis and another 44 million have low bone density, placing them at increased risk.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

Osteoporosis is responsible for an estimated two million broken bones per year, yet nearly 80 percent of older Americans who suffer bone breaks are not tested or treated for osteoporosis.

One in two women and up to one in four men over age 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis.

People with osteoporosis cannot feel their bones getting weaker, and many people do not know they have osteoporosis until they break a bone. People with osteoporosis most often break a bone in the hip, spine or wrist. Bones break more easily in people with osteoporosis, sometimes from simple actions such as sneezing, hugging or bumping into furniture. A broken bone in the spine can cause sharp back pain or no pain at all. Broken bones in the spine are called Vertebral Compression Fractures. They often go undiagnosed and can lead to further fractures.

HOW WE CAN HELP:

Alabama Bone and Joint Clinic’s Bone Health Clinic serves to address the issue of Osteoporosis with patients by providing evaluation and education for the primary and secondary prevention of osteoporosis. Andrew Woodall, PA-C works with patients to develop treatment plans to reduce the risk of fracture, speed up healing, prevent subsequent fractures and break the fragility cycle. You may benefit from a bone health visit if any of the following apply to you:
  • You are a man or woman over age 50
  • You are a postmenopausal woman
  • You are a man with low testosterone
  • You are an adult who has been treated for breast or prostate cancer
  • You have lost height, developed a hunched posture
  • You have sudden back pain with no apparent cause
  • You have taken steroids such as prednisone or cortisone for 2 months or longer
  • You have a family history of osteoporosis
  • You have Rheumatoid Arthritis, Chronic Kidney Disease or COPD
If you have questions about our Bone Health Clinic or would like to schedule an appointment with Andrew Woodall PA-C – call 205-621-3778

Bone Health-OSTEOPOROSIS