Osteoporosis in Men
What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a silent bone disease that if often only diagnosed after a bone fracture or break has occurred. Osteoporosis alters the structure of the bone causing weakness and an increased risk of a fracture. Bones are living tissues that are constantly being removed and rebuilt. As we get older we naturally lose more bone than we rebuild, however with Osteoporosis this is more pronounced. To keep bones healthy many factors are important: normal sex hormones; vitamin D; calcium; adequate calorie intake; proteins; weight bearing and strengthening exercises.
Osteopenia is the early stage of Osteoporosis. Having osteopenia places a person at risk of developing Osteoporosis. Receiving a diagnosis of osteopenia is a warning that you must start taking care of your bone health and preventative measures need to be put in place.
Osteoporosis in Men
One in four men over the age of 50 will break bones during their lifetime due to Osteoporosis. Typically, osteoporosis is thought to be a disease that affects only women; however, this is untrue. Yes it does affect more women than men, but men are still at risk of having osteoporosis.
Risk factors
Risk factors for osteoporosis in men and also women include: dietary problems and/or low caloric intake; inadequate calcium and vitamin D levels in your diet also play a role. Alcohol abuse (more than 21 units of alcohol a week for a man); excessive caffeine intake; smoking; and lack of exercise can all be considered risk factors for developing osteoporosis.
Moreover, osteoporosis can occur as the result of a wide variety of medications or medical treatment. For further information on these please click on this link to read more from the Osteoporosis and also discuss this with your General Practitioner.
The assessment of a male patient for osteoporosis should include: completion of an extensive risk factor questionnaire. This will help find the cause/s of your bone loss so it they can be addressed as well as your osteoporosis. A DXA scan of the spine and hips is the gold standard for measuring bone mineral density. Your risk of breaking bones or further bones is determined by the risk factors and the results of the bone mineral density of the spine and hips.
Treatment for Osteoporosis
All men with osteoporosis should be provided with lifestyle advice on how to decrease bone loss or progression of the disease. This advice includes: an adequate caloric intake; intake of calcium and vitamin D; cessation of smoking; reduction of alcohol intake. If there is a history of falls, attempts should be made to identify and modify underlying causes to help reduce the risk of further falls. A key component of treating osteoporosis is ensuring you are doing 30 minutes of appropriate daily weight bearing exercise. Weight bearing exercise promotes healthy bones and muscles. This is where your physiotherapist can help you increase your exercise levels and prescribed individualised exercises to suit you.
Here at Ballsbridge Physiotherapy clinic we have years of experience in treating people with Osteoporosis. Contact the clinic today, we have trained physiotherapists ready to help you.