Osteoporosis diagnosis & treatment in Bhubaneswar
Osteoporosis — also known as fragile bone disease — weakens bones due to poor bone quality, so that they may break from minor stress or even spontaneously, most often at the spine, forearm or hip.
What is osteoporosis?
the fragile bone disease
Osteoporosis is also known as fragile bone disease — the bone gets weakened due to poor bone quality and may result in fracture.
- Bones that commonly break due to osteoporosis include the vertebrae in the spine, the bones of the forearm, and the hip.
- Bones may weaken to such a degree that a break may occur with minor stress or spontaneously.
- This may result in chronic pain, and the patient may become unable to carry out normal activities following a broken bone.
Signs & symptoms
what osteoporosis feels like
- Osteoporosis may cause pain when there is a fracture — a fracture of the lower back causing back pain, or hip pain due to a hip fracture.
- Once bone has significantly deteriorated, there may be loss of height due to compression fractures in the spine.
- Back or neck pain — because the collapsed vertebrae may pinch the nerves that radiate out from the spinal cord. The pain can range from minor tenderness to debilitating pain.
- The patient may bend forward due to a wedge fracture of the spine.
- Postmenopausal women having low bone mineral density (BMD) may have low handgrip strength.
- Gums can recede if the jaw is losing bone.
Losing height, bending forward, or back pain after a minor fall? These can be signs of weakened bone — get your bone health assessed by a rheumatologist.
Book AppointmentWhat causes
osteoporosis?
- Inside the body, the bones are in a constant state of renewal and remodelling — new bone is formed to replace old bone which gets broken down.
- When you’re young, your body makes new bone faster than it breaks down old bone, and your bone mass increases.
- After the early 20s this process slows, and most people reach their peak (highest) bone mass by age 30.
- As people age, bone mass is lost faster than it is created.
- The peak bone mass attained at a young age decides how much bone you are going to lose in old age. Peak bone mass is somewhat inherited and also varies by ethnic group.
- If you have more peak bone mass — more bone “in your bank” — you are less likely to develop osteoporosis as you age.
Who is at risk
of osteoporosis?
Although men and women can both get osteoporosis, it is more common in women because of the lack of estrogen or hormonal support in older age. Common risk factors include:
- Older age (over 50 years)
- Early menopause (before age 45)
- Race — being of Caucasian or Asian descent
- Ovaries removed before age 45
- Low testosterone level in men
- Low estrogen level in women
- Medications that decrease hormone levels
- Immunosuppressive medications and steroids
- Smoking cigarettes
- Family history of osteoporosis
- Drinking alcohol frequently
- Not getting enough regular physical activity
- Kidney failure
- Malabsorption
- Multiple sclerosis
- Leukemia
- Diabetes
- Hyperthyroidism
- Hyperparathyroidism
- Rheumatoid arthritis
Osteoporosis
at a glance
Peak bone mass is somewhat inherited and varies by ethnic group — the more bone “in your bank” at a young age, the less likely you are to develop osteoporosis as you age.
Bones may weaken to such a degree that a break can occur with minor stress or even spontaneously.
How osteoporosis
is diagnosed
Bone density is measured with a painless DEXA scan, usually at the hip and spine.
Osteoporosis is suspected by your treating doctor if you have any of the risk factors — such as older age, early menopause, steroid use, smoking or a family history of osteoporosis.
Bone density is measured by a DEXA scan machine that uses low levels of X-rays to determine the proportion of mineral in your bones. As per evidence, it is usually measured at the hip and spine.
This is a painless test — you lie on a padded table as a scanner passes over your body. The result helps your doctor estimate your fracture risk and decide whether treatment is needed.
How osteoporosis
is treated
Do you need medication?
Treatment recommendations are often based on an estimate of your risk of breaking a bone in the next 10 years — known as the FRAX score. If your risk isn’t high, treatment might not include medication and might focus instead on modifying risk factors for bone loss and falls.
Bisphosphonates
The most widely prescribed osteoporosis medications are bisphosphonates. These include Alendronate, Risedronate, Ibandronate and Zoledronic acid.
Monoclonal antibody medications
Denosumab is delivered via a shot under the skin every six months.
Bone-forming drugs
Teriparatide (Forteo) helps in forming new bone and is very effective in increasing bone mass. It can be taken for up to 2 years.
Hormone-related therapy
Estrogen, especially when started soon after menopause, can help maintain bone density. Raloxifene (Evista) mimics estrogen’s beneficial effects on bone density in postmenopausal women, without some of the risks associated with estrogen.
Consultations with the OARC rheumatology team run Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM–2:00 PM and 4:30–9:00 PM. Call +91 93386 53086 or book online.
How OARC Can Help?
At OARC, we offer holistic care to patients suffering from all kinds of arthritis and autoimmune diseases by our renowned rheumatologists. Because of the chronic nature of the disease, we spend time with the patient helping them to know about their disease, and demystify the myths regarding the disease and treatment. We have collaboration with an NABL accredited laboratory where all kinds of blood tests can be done at reasonable costs. We also have a patient support system which patients can approach in case of any emergency. We believe in a friendly relation with patients so that they can share all their sufferings and get the best possible treatment.
What happens if osteoporosis
is left untreated?
- Bone fractures, particularly in the spine or hip, are the most serious complications of osteoporosis.
- Hip fractures are often caused by a fall and can result in disability — and even an increased risk of death within the first year after the injury.
- In some cases, spinal fractures can occur even if you haven’t fallen.
- The bones that make up your spine (vertebrae) can weaken to the point of crumpling, which can result in back pain, lost height and a hunched forward posture.
Questions to ask your doctor
- Do I need a DEXA scan to measure my bone density?
- What is my FRAX score — my risk of breaking a bone in the next 10 years?
- Do I need medication, or should we focus on modifying my risk factors first?
- Which osteoporosis medication is right for me, and for how long?
- What can I change — smoking, alcohol, physical activity — to protect my bones and prevent falls?
Frequently Asked Questions
bone health care in Odisha
Meet the rheumatologist
behind your care
Dr. Jyoti Ranjan Parida
Founder & Lead Rheumatologist at OARC, Bhubaneswar. Dr. Parida and the OARC rheumatology team — with fellow rheumatologist Dr. Debashis Maikap — care for bone-health conditions such as osteoporosis alongside arthritis and autoimmune diseases, at our Bhubaneswar centre. Consultations run Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM–2:00 PM and 4:30–9:00 PM.