FAQ's

The main cause of osteoporosis is bone loss due to a drop in your body’s estrogen levels. Estrogen is a hormone that helps build and maintain your bones. The most common cause of estrogen loss in women is menopause. Other factors that may increase your risk include:

• Sex
• Age
• Genetics
• Nutrition & Lifestyle choices
• Medical conditions

Usually, there are no symptoms of osteoporosis. That is why it is sometimes called a silent disease.
However, you should watch out for the following things:

• Loss of height (getting shorter by an inch or more).
• Change in posture (stooping or bending forward).
• Shortness of breath (smaller lung capacity due to compressed disks).
• Bone fractures.
• Pain in the lower back.

From a young age, both men and women can take steps to prevent osteoporosis by making sure that they:

• have a healthy and varied diet with plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains
• eat calcium-rich foods
• absorb enough vitamin D
• avoid smoking
• limit alcohol consumption
• limit caffeine
• do regular weight-bearing and strength-training activities.

Our bones store calcium. As we age, we absorb less and less calcium from our diet, causing our bodies to take more and more calcium from our bones. If we do not have enough calcium in our diets to keep our bodies functioning, calcium is removed from where it is stored in our bones. Over time, this causes our bones to grow weaker and can cause or contribute to osteoporosis.

One of the best ways to strengthen your bones and reduce the risk of osteoporosis in later years is by getting regular exercise. Even if you already have osteoporosis, exercising can help maintain the bone mass you have.  The two types that are most effective for building strong bones are weight-bearing exercise and strength-training exercise. Exercises to improve bone strength are site-specific. For example, walking can improve bone strength in the legs and spine but not in the wrist. Postural stretching and strengthening can help prevent or decrease the amount of upper spine slumping seen in many older people. Leaning over to tie your shoes or sweeping and mopping can lead to spine fractures in people at high risk of spine fracture. Try to maintain good spine posture with all your activities.

Before you start a new workout routine, check with your doctor and physical therapist. They can tell you what’s safe for your stage of osteoporosis, your fitness level, and your weight.