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Preventing and Treating Osteoporosis in Elderly People: 5 Tips for Coping with Bone Loss

Elderly people often feel backache and bone pain, and they may think it is just a degenerative problem caused by age. However, patients with osteoporosis may also feel pain in the waist and buttocks. If the problem is ignored and the condition worsens, it may lead to bone collapse or vertebral fracture. It can only be discovered if it causes severe pain. Some orthopedic specialists have reminded that the elderly should not wait for their bones to recover naturally, because their bones are not easy to heal and may be squeezed by the deformation of the vertebrae. If they do not receive treatment until then, their mobility may still be affected. Therefore, it is recommended that long-term care be maintained. Patients should undergo regular bone density examinations and seek medical treatment as soon as possible if osteoporosis is found. How to deal with osteoporosis? Doctors offer the following five tips.

Patients with osteoporosis may not experience any discomfort in the early stages, but they may experience pain in the waist and hips. Once the problem is ignored and the condition worsens, it may not be discovered until severe pain occurs due to bone collapse or vertebrae fracture, so do not take it lightly.

People with osteoporosis cough or sneeze vigorously May cause spinal fractures or fractures

Dr. Ko Tin-yu, an orthopedic specialist at Sanatorium & Hospital, explained that healthy bone tissue is as dense as cork wood, but osteoporosis will cause patients to continue to lose bone mass, leaving only the “shell” of the bones. Patients may not experience any discomfort in daily life, but if they cough or sneeze vigorously, they may cause spinal fractures or even compression fractures. Some patients may even experience cracks in their hip bones at the same time.

Related reading: Osteoporosis Day丨Sudden low back pain? Coughing and bending over will cause fracture?Decreased bone density in pre-middle age? Three major fallacies in calcium supplementation with a high-calcium meal menu

Vertebral fracture makes patient unable to livemove Caregivers increase alertness

Dr. Gao pointed out that once a vertebral fracture occurs, patients will feel particularly severe pain whenever they stretch their waist when getting up or lying down. Therefore, many patients do not want to move after sitting or lying down. He suggested that the elderly and their caregivers should pay more attention to the above warning signs. If the elderly are found to be very resistant to activities, they should arrange for further examination, because this type of fracture in the elderly is very dangerous, and delayed treatment may lead to paralysis.

Patients with osteoporosis may experience waist and hip pain, so do not take it lightly.

Bone cement injection handtechnique No need for surgery

He said that if bone collapse or vertebral fractures caused by osteoporosis are detected early, bone cement injection surgery can be performed. The doctor will use X-ray guidance to inject bone cement into the collapsed vertebrae by injection and wait for about 20 minutes. It will solidify and can support and fix the vertebrae. No surgery is required during the entire treatment process, and the patient can regain his mobility after recovery.

However, patients must note that bone cement injection surgery is only suitable for new bone collapse or fractures. If the fracture has been present for a period of time, the treatment will become relatively complicated. Dr. Gao explained that the vertebrae tissue will be lost over time until only empty sacs remain. Not only will it not heal naturally, but it may also deform and compress the nerve lines. At this time, the orthopedic specialist may need to consider inserting screws to fix the vertebrae. However, because the bones of older patients may be very soft, screws may not be possible. If necessary, bone grafting may be performed on the patient. If the patient delays the condition to the stage where he is unable to walk, he may still lose mobility even after surgery.

Related reading: Osteoporosis increases the risk of fractures. Learn more about calcium supplementation and diet, including high-calcium recipes (eating smart)

Coping with osteoporosis5tips

Dr. Gao said that to prevent osteoporosis and its serious consequences, the first step is to slow down bone loss. If relevant symptoms occur, you should seek medical treatment as soon as possible. Elderly people can pay attention to the following 5 tips on a daily basis to reduce the chance of suffering from osteoporosis and fractures:

Adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D3 can help strengthen bones. Regular exercise can help reduce bone loss and reduce the risk of related complications in the future. Get a bone test in a timely manner to evaluate whether you have osteoporosis. Pay attention to symptoms, such as non-traumatic symptoms. If you have a fracture or any discomfort, seek medical advice early. Once you are diagnosed with osteoporosis, you should receive targeted treatment as soon as possible, such as using anti-bone loss drugs. Doctors will also prescribe drugs to stimulate bone growth as needed.
2023-11-08 08:39:20

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