In the article we will consider the main symptoms and treatment of osteoporosis. It is a pathological condition that is characterized by the destruction of bone tissue, when the process of decay begins to prevail over synthesis. Against the background of osteoporosis, the strength of bones decreases and, accordingly, their fragility increases. In addition, there is a violation of the internal structure of the bones. Osteoporosis can be an independent pathology or serve as a symptom of other diseases. Treatment of osteoporosis must be timely.
General information
Osteoporosis is one of the most common ailments. Its prevalence is especially high among the elderly. Currently, such a problem as osteoporosis is very relevant. Here are some interesting facts:
- Approximately eighty percent of women inafter the age of fifty, signs of this pathology can be detected. It should be noted that this disease is much less common in men.
- In European hospitals, the number of patients with osteoporosis after forty-five years of age always significantly exceeds the number of patients with myocardial infarction, breast cancer and diabetes.
- The most common complication is a hip fracture, which affects 250,000 people in the US every year.
- Almost every woman over 65 has at least one fracture, often associated with osteoporosis.
- According to experts, if the prevalence of osteoporosis continues to increase, as it is now, then in thirty years it may turn into a massive epidemic.
Symptoms and treatment of osteoporosis in women were common in ancient times, as evidenced by the images of ancient periods, which depict people with a characteristic pathology of posture. European experts began to closely deal with this problem only in the century before last, when a discovery was made, according to which it turned out that a fracture of the femoral neck in old age is directly related to changes in bone tissues.
Before considering the symptoms and treatment of osteoporosis, let's talk about the causes of the disease.
What are the causes of osteoporosis?
The fact is that human bone tissue is in constant dynamic balance. It regularly undergoes a process of creation and simultaneous destruction. Base for mineral depositionThe compound is collagen. On its molecules, as on a framework, calcium crystals form and grow, which later turn into hydroxyapatites. The function of bone tissue mineralization is performed by special cells called osteoblasts. They secrete phosphates, which later combine with calcium. There is another type of cell called osteoclasts. They monitor the destruction of bone tissue and the leaching of mineral compounds from it. It should be noted that to date, the process of bone mineralization has not been sufficiently studied.
Let's give the factors that influence the process of bone tissue mineralization. It is these reasons that increase the risk of developing osteoporosis:
- Hormonal causes. Some hormones are able to activate osteoblasts with the synthesis of bone tissue, while others, on the contrary, contribute to the leaching of calcium with phosphorus into the blood. The risk of osteoporosis can significantly increase in the presence of hormonal imbalance, pathologies of the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, and, in addition, the parathyroid glands. In women, this disease often develops after menopause, since by this time the content of estrogen in the body, which protects bones from destruction, decreases. That is why the treatment of osteoporosis in women over 50 is carried out so often.
- Hereditary factors. It is well known that osteoporosis is more common in people of Mongoloid and Caucasian races. The risk of acquiring this disease is especially increased if relatives have such a pathology.
- Unhe althy lifestyle. Smoking along with alcohol consumption and unhe althy diet,and besides, being overweight with a sedentary lifestyle only exacerbates the situation and increases the likelihood of osteoporosis.
- Various diseases. Various diseases of the blood, digestive system, heart, as well as all kinds of autoimmune pathologies can contribute to the formation of osteoporosis in the body.
- Medication taking. The side effects of a large number of drugs increase the risk of developing osteoporosis.
It is often difficult to name one reason that led to the appearance of the disease. Osteoporosis causes a whole combination of various causes. They can accumulate over time, and at some point changes in bone tissue can reach a critical level.
Symptoms and treatment of osteoporosis are of interest to many.
General manifestations of pathology
Osteoporosis, first of all, is dangerous because at first it does not manifest itself in any way, accompanied by minimal symptoms. Often the diagnosis is established already in the presence of serious complications in the form of bone fractures. Among the common symptoms characteristic of the initial stages, the following signs can be mentioned:
- The appearance of pain in the bones, especially when the weather changes.
- Increase in overall body fatigue.
- Premature appearance of gray hair.
- The appearance of plaque.
- The development of periodontal disease, that is, a disease that affects the tissues surrounding the roots of the teeth.
- Having a rapid heartbeat.
Symptoms and treatmentosteoporosis of the spine consider below.
The occurrence of pathological fractures is the most common complication. Pathological fractures can occur with minimal bone contact. Influences that can lead to pathological fractures are usually the following:
- Awkward movement.
- Receiving a weak blow that is not strong enough to break a he althy person's bone.
- Falling down.
- Cough with sneezing.
- Normal exercise, for example, while walking on the bones of the legs.
Pathological fractures occur when a person's bones become too brittle. Often the fragments are extremely poorly fused. Thus, against the background of osteoporosis, there is a violation of bone tissue regeneration. Between the fragments, a false joint, the so-called pseudoarthrosis, can form. Against this background, the functions of the affected limb deteriorate greatly.
These are the most common symptoms. Treatment of osteoporosis in a woman will be considered further.
Symptomatics of limb osteoporosis
Common symptoms that are noted at the initial stage are usually the following:
- The appearance of pain in the bones, which increase during a change in the weather. They are usually not very strong and are aching in nature. Patients may ignore them for a long time and consider them a manifestation of normal fatigue.
- The appearance of cramps in the muscles of the limbs at night.
- Changes in the appearance of nails that begin to delaminate, becoming quite brittle.
- Strain observationextremities, predominantly legs. This symptom is noted with a long course of pathology.
But often the diagnosis is made without relying on the listed symptoms, but after the occurrence of complications in the form of pathological bone fractures.
Fractured femoral neck
The femoral neck is the narrowest part of the bone, with which its body is connected to the head. It is she who often undergoes fractures during the development of osteoporosis. Often such a fracture occurs in women between the ages of sixty-five and eighty-five. This fracture is one of the most common causes of disability among adults. The following symptoms of pathological fractures of this bone in osteoporosis are distinguished:
- The presence of prolonged severe pain in the groin. Almost no patient associates this symptom with problems of the femur. People generally endure pain and do not go to the doctor. The moment of fracture may not be noticed.
- Shortening the affected leg. Such a sign also often goes unnoticed, because the difference itself, as a rule, is small - within four centimeters.
A pathological fracture of this bone is usually treated for a very long time and with great difficulty. The neck with the head of the femur has some features of the blood supply. In the event that blood vessels are damaged during a fracture, aseptic necrosis will occur: the femoral head will die and begin to dissolve.
The best drugs for the treatment of osteoporosismust be prescribed by a doctor.
Osteoporosis of the spinal column: symptoms
Symptomatic of osteoporosis of this part of the skeleton is usually the following:
- The appearance of back pain. Depending on the position of the pathological processes, the patient may be disturbed by pain in the lower back, and, in addition, between the shoulder blades. Often they appear against the background of prolonged work in a monotonous position.
- Violation of posture. Patients with osteoporosis of the spine usually have a strong stoop.
- Decrease in human height, which is associated with a decrease in the height of the spinal column in patients.
- Lack of mobility of the spinal column, which happens due to pain and deformity of the vertebrae.
Treating osteoporosis of the spine can often be difficult. Compression fracture of the vertebrae is one of the most common complications of this disease. Such a picture is revealed every year among seven hundred thousand people all over the world. With compression fractures, the vertebrae seem to be flattened, pushing inward, as a result of which its height decreases. Often the leading edge is deformed, as a result of which it can take the form of a wedge. Compression fractures in this region of the skeleton can be characterized by severe pain in the spine, which often makes patients unable to stand or sit for long periods of time. Thus, osteoporosis of the spinal column manifests itself in the form of symptoms that strongly resemble osteochondrosis. Doctors often have difficulty distinguishing one disease from another.
The treatment of osteoporosis of the joints will be described in detailbelow.
Symptoms
Osteoporosis of this type is a lesion of the heads of the bones that take part in the formation of the joint itself. In terms of its symptoms, the pathology is very similar to arthrosis. So, the main signs of this pathology are as follows:
- The appearance of pain in the joints.
- Formation of tissue swelling in the area of the joint.
- The appearance of deformations.
- Sound with a crunchy feeling during any movement.
- General immobility.
The most common locations for joint osteoporosis include the following:
- Hip joint. Its main complications include the previously mentioned hip fracture.
- Knee joints.
- Wrist joint.
- Shoulder joints.
- Small joints such as wrists, hands, fingers, toes, etc.
- Intervertebral joints.
Osteoporosis treatment should be comprehensive.
Which doctor treats osteoporosis?
The reasons for the development of this pathology are very diverse. Therefore, different specialists are engaged in its treatment. Physicians involved in the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis:
- Traumatologists-orthopedists specialize in injuries and various disorders of the skeletal system.
- Endocrinologists deal with diseases of the endocrine system, for example, the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, and so on.
- Rheumatologists are specialists in diseases of the joints and connectivefabrics.
Diet plays an important role in the treatment of osteoporosis.
Diet
The main objectives of therapeutic nutrition in the development of this disease are the following goals:
- Fortify your diet with foods high in calcium.
- Enriching the diet with foods that contain substances that promote improved absorption of calcium.
- Exclude foods that slow down and impair calcium absorption.
To maximize the absorption of calcium with phosphates in the treatment of osteoporosis of the hip joint, useful microelements such as magnesium, along with copper and vitamins A, K, B6 and D, must be included in the body. With the development of osteoporosis, the body needs a complete protein diet. What foods containing enough calcium are indicated for osteoporosis? Information about them is given below:
- Useful - milk, cottage cheese, yoghurts, cheeses and so on.
- The daily diet must necessarily consist of grains and cereals.
- Eating dark green vegetables is good.
- It is equally important to eat dried apricots and other dried fruits.
- It is recommended to eat nuts and wholemeal bread.
- Meat and oily fish are allowed.
In the event that with the help of nutrition it is not possible to cover your need for calcium, then it can be consumed as part of vitamins, and, in addition, various dietary supplements or in the form of drugs for the treatment of osteoporosis. Thus, patients are often prescribed calcium chloride or calcium gluconate. Alsoshould be called products that impair the absorption of calcium and are not recommended for patients suffering from osteoporosis. So, we are talking about coffee, strong tea, chocolate, alcohol, pork, beef and liver. All of these foods contain too much iron, which impairs calcium absorption in the treatment of osteoporosis.
Calcium preparations are effective in therapy
Three types of calcium supplements are used for osteoporosis:
- Calcium chloride.
- Calcium gluconate.
- Calcium lactate.
The best safe drugs for treating osteoporosis are listed below.
Treatment of disease with medicines
Hormone replacement therapy is used as a prophylaxis and in parallel with other measures. It is advisable only at the initial stage of osteoporosis. At the next stage of the development of the disease, a hormonal drug is used - an analogue of the hormone that the parathyroid glands secrete. This is Forsteo (Teriparatide).
Indication for prescribing the remedy is mineral bone loss associated with a decrease in the level of sex hormones, both in men and women, and in osteoporosis, which has developed from glucocorticosteroids.
The course of therapy lasts an average of 1.5 years. But "Forsteo" is not included in the international protocol for the treatment of osteoporosis. Bisphosphonates and Denosumab occupy the first place there.
Miak altsik is also popular. This is an analogue of the human thyroid hormone, but it is extracted from salmon. Available in the form of a nasal spray. But people use it with the beginning of a decrease in bone density.
Bisphosphonates are increasingly preferred in the treatment of osteoporosis in older women. This group of drugs reduces bone resorption and frequent re-fractures, while the risk of thrombosis and thromboembolism does not increase.
Easy to use for the patient: 1 tablet once a week. The main thing is to choose the right drug.
This dosage regimen for the drug "Foroza" from osteoporosis. Assign 70 mg weekly. The price of this group of funds is quite high. So "Foroza" costs 600 rubles, "Bonviva" - 1500 rubles (taken once a month).
Zoledronic acid preparations (Rezoclastin, Aklasta) are also effective. Maximum convenience for patients. An injection once a year will suffice. Zoledronic acid has few side effects.
It is acceptable for osteoporosis to use painkillers, drugs from the NSAID group. Ointments for this disease have a symptomatic effect, somewhat relieve pain, relieve inflammation, improve blood circulation.
Exercise for osteoporosis
A set of exercises in the presence of this disease should be carried out according to the doctor's prescription. Specialists in the treatment of osteoporosis of the hip joint take into account the stage of the course of the disease with the severity of changes in the bones, age and physical capabilities of patients. But in the event that a person decides to do gymnastics at homeconditions on their own, then he must first consult a doctor. A set of exercises for the treatment of osteoporosis in women is usually carried out in such a way that a person should take a starting position and lie on the floor on his back. Next you need:
- Bend and unbend the feet, turning them out and in.
- Bending and unbending arms. As part of this exercise, the hands are brought to the shoulders.
- Raise straight arms up.
- Next, put a roller under your feet so that your knees are half-bent. Next, the knees are extended.
- Bend the knees, pulling them to the chest, and hold in this position for five seconds.
After that, lie on the floor on the stomach:
- Raise your shoulders off the floor and hold in this position for five seconds.
- Next, perform the exercise "scissors", in which the legs are crossed.
- Raise the leg above the floor as much as possible, but so that there is no pain, and the other leg with the hands should be pressed to the floor.
What else is the treatment for osteoporosis in women?
Treatment with folk methods
In folk medicine, there is a fairly large arsenal of methods for treating this pathology:
- Treatment with comfrey compresses. They take dry leaves of comfrey and insist in a solution of dimexide for some time. Next, compresses are made on all areas where a person is worried about pain. Such treatment of osteoporosis with folk remedies is carried out twice a day.day.
- Mummy treatment. Take a certain amount of mummy, about the size of a match head. Dissolve in a glass of water. Take the drug three times a day twenty minutes before meals. The course of treatment for osteoporosis in women aged 50 is twenty days, then you need to take a break.
- Eggshell treatment with lemon juice. Very finely crush the eggshell. Then mix it with lemon juice and take a tablespoon once a day. Alternative treatment for osteoporosis can be very effective.
- Treatment with compresses made from geraniums. Take a spoonful of the dried plant and brew in boiling water. Next, the remedy is insisted for an hour. Apply the resulting medicine for compresses that are applied to the affected areas.
What are the symptoms and treatment of osteoporosis of the joints, now it is clear.
Prognosis and consequences of osteoporosis
With the right treatment, you can significantly slow down or even completely stop the development of osteoporosis. But, nevertheless, the working capacity of most patients with this disease is greatly reduced, and they are advised to change jobs or completely refuse to perform physical labor.
When complications of this pathology appear, the prognosis worsens significantly. For example, a pathological fracture of the femoral neck quite often leads to the death of patients. This usually happens within the first year after the injury. Thus, in order to qualitatively treat osteoporosis, it is necessary not toonly take medicines, but also follow all medical recommendations regarding proper lifestyle and nutrition, including.
In order not to have to treat osteoporosis in women 50 years old, prevention of pathology should be carried out.
Prevention
As part of the prevention of this serious illness, patients should follow these guidelines:
- Eat right food.
- Get plenty of physical activity.
- Take a multivitamin along with calcium supplements.
- Treat all diseases that may be the cause of osteoporosis in a timely manner.
- Give up all bad habits, in particular smoking and alcohol.
- Compliance with a rational regime of work and rest.
- Make sure you get plenty of sun exposure, as the sun's rays produce vitamin D in your skin, which helps your bones absorb calcium.
We covered the symptoms and treatment of osteoporosis of the hip and more.
