Been Having Low Back Pain Lately?
Since working at a desk for hours on end, I assumed my lower back pain was caused by pressure on the bottom of my spine.
When I started an exercise regime and the pain didn't let up, I began to have some concerns.
To add to my discomfort, I also had severe pain in one foot, even though I'd followed my doctor's instructions to start out gradually and increase exercise slowly.
What was going on? The answer was not something I'd considered: osteoporosis.
I'd always thought of this as a disease that affected only older people, not someone in the prime of her life.
Since my diagnosis, I've learned that I believed many myths about the causes of osteoporosis and its treatment.
I thought that all I had to do was drink milk, stay active and eat a reasonable diet and I'd be safe.
But I was way off the mark when it came to this condition.
While it can often occur in old age, it also strike many between the ages of 45 to 65.
Osteoporosis is very common among Baby Boomers, although it mostly affects females.
However, men shouldn't assume they are in the clear.
What are some of the causes of osteoporosis? After seeing my doctor, I learned that working inside much of the day had left me with a Vitamin D deficiency.
My doctor was honest about the fact that research is still being conducted and there may be many more factors that affect who gets this condition - and when.
Even so, he went over many of the risk factors and treatment options.
Family history is one common cause for osteoporosis.
When I thought back, I recalled how my elderly grandmother had a slanted back, almost a hunchback.
I was told that she probably could have been diagnosed and treated today but - back then- osteoporosis treatments weren't so available.
Also, it is a quiet disease, something I knew because I'd had no symptoms until I started to exercise and my fragile bones had reacted.
I'd gotten a stress fracture in one foot.
It wasn't until I was given a basic test that I was told I had the condition.
For unknown reasons, Caucasians and Asians are at higher risk for low bone mass than African Americans.
Again, because it can be silent until relatively severe symptoms develop, it is important to get proper tests and osteoporosis treatment as early as possible.
Some procedures and medications can even reverse early bone loss.
My first symptom was lower back pain as well as the stress fracture in my foot.
However, I was told I was at risk of sudden bone breaks in my hips or wrist.
Women who are in or past menopause need to be aware that this can be an osteoporosis cause.
Bones start break down rather than build up, even though a woman may still look and feel fairly youthful and healthy.
Stealthily, the bone-thinning condition can be starting to attack the lower back and other areas of the body.
I was already on thyroid medication and learned that high doses of that medication, Synthroid, could actually aggravate bone thinning.
That was a surprise to hear.
Osteoporosis treatment for someone who also has a low or high thyroid includes blood tests and careful monitoring of bone density.
I immediately made regular appointments.
Another risk factor for osteoporosis makes more sense.
Most people know that calcium and bone density go together.
A diet low in calcium rich foods and drinks, including milk, can speed up the condition.
Some people resist drinking milk due to gas problems but there are many options and calcium-free milks available.
Becoming aware of other foods which have high levels of calcium is an important part of an osteoporosis treatment plan.
In addition to milk, foods with plenty of calcium include most cheeses, enriched whole grain cereals and cornmeal, spinach and sardines.
A good nutritionist can provide examples of other foods.
If at least 1,000 mg of calcium was not part of the daily diet before diagnosis, this may be one of the causes of osteoporosis.
I was overly fond of colas and diet drinks.
I quickly learned that these can deplete the body of calcium and may have been a contributing cause of my early diagnosis.
Giving up the sodas was important.
Some people, however, only have cut down on their sodas, as long as they have proper nutritional supplementation.
Exercise was also very hit or miss with me (usually missed).
My doctor was no nonsense about the important of weight bearing exercises as part of my osteoporosis treatment.
No sitting in a chair and doing gentle exercises while watching tv.
That didn't count as the right type of exercise.
Instead, I was told to meet with a personal trainer and start a weight training program to help treat my osteoporosis, with an emphasis on weight bearing exercises to help maintain and even build bone mass.
This was to be mixed with lower body training to strengthen my lower back and spine.
The results of this program were amazingly quick and I could feel the lower back pain lessen within weeks.
I'd never been a smoker and only an occasional drinker but was told that both (in excess) were risk factors and possible causes of osteoporosis.
I was glad to learn about this and become even more careful about alcohol intake.
Being relatively small and also on the thin side, something I thought was desirable, turned out to be another potential problem and risk factor.
I actually put on a bit of weight once I started a good nutritional plan but nothing excessive thanks to the exercise program.
After starting treatment, I was given regular bone mineral density tests and the results were promising.
The treatments were working and that was great to know.
I also had to have my hormone levels tested, since low levels of some hormones - as well as any history of eating disorders - can be tied to osteoporosis.
Luckily, they came back within the normal range but any woman who has a history of infrequent or missed periods should let her doctor know about this when being treated for osteoporosis.
Finally, in addition to following a doctor's recommendations, patients should provide a full list of all medications taken, since some can interfere with bone development and density.
If lifestyle changes, improved nutrition and exercise don't work to keep the condition from worsening, some may have take osteoporosis medications such as Fosamax or Actonel.
When I started an exercise regime and the pain didn't let up, I began to have some concerns.
To add to my discomfort, I also had severe pain in one foot, even though I'd followed my doctor's instructions to start out gradually and increase exercise slowly.
What was going on? The answer was not something I'd considered: osteoporosis.
I'd always thought of this as a disease that affected only older people, not someone in the prime of her life.
Since my diagnosis, I've learned that I believed many myths about the causes of osteoporosis and its treatment.
I thought that all I had to do was drink milk, stay active and eat a reasonable diet and I'd be safe.
But I was way off the mark when it came to this condition.
While it can often occur in old age, it also strike many between the ages of 45 to 65.
Osteoporosis is very common among Baby Boomers, although it mostly affects females.
However, men shouldn't assume they are in the clear.
What are some of the causes of osteoporosis? After seeing my doctor, I learned that working inside much of the day had left me with a Vitamin D deficiency.
My doctor was honest about the fact that research is still being conducted and there may be many more factors that affect who gets this condition - and when.
Even so, he went over many of the risk factors and treatment options.
Family history is one common cause for osteoporosis.
When I thought back, I recalled how my elderly grandmother had a slanted back, almost a hunchback.
I was told that she probably could have been diagnosed and treated today but - back then- osteoporosis treatments weren't so available.
Also, it is a quiet disease, something I knew because I'd had no symptoms until I started to exercise and my fragile bones had reacted.
I'd gotten a stress fracture in one foot.
It wasn't until I was given a basic test that I was told I had the condition.
For unknown reasons, Caucasians and Asians are at higher risk for low bone mass than African Americans.
Again, because it can be silent until relatively severe symptoms develop, it is important to get proper tests and osteoporosis treatment as early as possible.
Some procedures and medications can even reverse early bone loss.
My first symptom was lower back pain as well as the stress fracture in my foot.
However, I was told I was at risk of sudden bone breaks in my hips or wrist.
Women who are in or past menopause need to be aware that this can be an osteoporosis cause.
Bones start break down rather than build up, even though a woman may still look and feel fairly youthful and healthy.
Stealthily, the bone-thinning condition can be starting to attack the lower back and other areas of the body.
I was already on thyroid medication and learned that high doses of that medication, Synthroid, could actually aggravate bone thinning.
That was a surprise to hear.
Osteoporosis treatment for someone who also has a low or high thyroid includes blood tests and careful monitoring of bone density.
I immediately made regular appointments.
Another risk factor for osteoporosis makes more sense.
Most people know that calcium and bone density go together.
A diet low in calcium rich foods and drinks, including milk, can speed up the condition.
Some people resist drinking milk due to gas problems but there are many options and calcium-free milks available.
Becoming aware of other foods which have high levels of calcium is an important part of an osteoporosis treatment plan.
In addition to milk, foods with plenty of calcium include most cheeses, enriched whole grain cereals and cornmeal, spinach and sardines.
A good nutritionist can provide examples of other foods.
If at least 1,000 mg of calcium was not part of the daily diet before diagnosis, this may be one of the causes of osteoporosis.
I was overly fond of colas and diet drinks.
I quickly learned that these can deplete the body of calcium and may have been a contributing cause of my early diagnosis.
Giving up the sodas was important.
Some people, however, only have cut down on their sodas, as long as they have proper nutritional supplementation.
Exercise was also very hit or miss with me (usually missed).
My doctor was no nonsense about the important of weight bearing exercises as part of my osteoporosis treatment.
No sitting in a chair and doing gentle exercises while watching tv.
That didn't count as the right type of exercise.
Instead, I was told to meet with a personal trainer and start a weight training program to help treat my osteoporosis, with an emphasis on weight bearing exercises to help maintain and even build bone mass.
This was to be mixed with lower body training to strengthen my lower back and spine.
The results of this program were amazingly quick and I could feel the lower back pain lessen within weeks.
I'd never been a smoker and only an occasional drinker but was told that both (in excess) were risk factors and possible causes of osteoporosis.
I was glad to learn about this and become even more careful about alcohol intake.
Being relatively small and also on the thin side, something I thought was desirable, turned out to be another potential problem and risk factor.
I actually put on a bit of weight once I started a good nutritional plan but nothing excessive thanks to the exercise program.
After starting treatment, I was given regular bone mineral density tests and the results were promising.
The treatments were working and that was great to know.
I also had to have my hormone levels tested, since low levels of some hormones - as well as any history of eating disorders - can be tied to osteoporosis.
Luckily, they came back within the normal range but any woman who has a history of infrequent or missed periods should let her doctor know about this when being treated for osteoporosis.
Finally, in addition to following a doctor's recommendations, patients should provide a full list of all medications taken, since some can interfere with bone development and density.
If lifestyle changes, improved nutrition and exercise don't work to keep the condition from worsening, some may have take osteoporosis medications such as Fosamax or Actonel.
Source...