Osteoporosis

Pinnacle Health Group

Primary Care Practice located in Tampa, FL & Plant City, FL

If you’re concerned about osteoporosis, especially if you’re a woman who has entered menopause, the skilled providers at Pinnacle Health Group can assess your risk for the disease and help you strengthen your bones and maintain a healthy bone density. To learn more about osteoporosis, call the Tampa, Florida, office today to make an appointment, or book online.

Osteoporosis Q & A

What is osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a condition that arises when your body doesn’t produce enough new bone tissue to replace lost bone mass. Osteoporosis results in weak, brittle bones that can fracture easily and may not be strong enough to support the weight and movement of your body.

What causes osteoporosis?

Healthy adult bones are continuously going through a process called remodeling, in which old, weak bone tissue is broken down and eliminated by your body, and new, strong bone tissue is formed to replace it.

Around the age of 40, the remodeling process begins to slow down; old bone isn’t entirely replaced by new bone, leading to a drop in bone density. Over time, losing more bone than you replace can lead to osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis typically develops faster in women than in men. Women who have reached menopause have an increased risk for the condition because reduced levels of the hormone estrogen, which drops significantly during menopause, accelerate the rate of bone loss.

Additional risk factors include:

Family history of osteoporosis
Small body frame
Thyroid disorders
Adrenal disorders
Sedentary lifestyle
Deficiency of calcium and/or vitamin D
Certain medications

Some medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or kidney disease can also contribute to osteoporosis.

How does osteoporosis affect my health?

Osteoporosis significantly increases your risk of fracturing or breaking a bone. Frequently, these breaks occur in the forearm, hip, wrist, and spine. Osteoporosis also makes it harder for you to recover from a broken bone.

Osteoporosis can weaken your bones to the point that you could break them just by bumping into something, or even by coughing. It can cause the bones in your spine to fracture, creating a forward curvature of your back so you can’t stand up straight.

People with osteoporosis who fall can break a hip or another larger bone. These injuries can cause permanent disability, and they are associated with a shortened life expectancy.