Living with

Getting support

Your GP or nurse may be able to answerany questions you have about living with osteoporosis andcan reassure you if you're worried.

You may also find it helpful to talk to a trained counsellor or psychologist, or to someone at a specialist helpline. Your GP surgery will have information about these.

Some people find it helpful to talk to others with osteoporosis, either at a local support group or in an internet chat room.

Osteoporosis support

TheNational Osteoporosis Society provides ahelpline service run by nurses with specialist knowledge of osteoporosis and bone health.

Call 0808 800 0035. You can also email them atnurses@nos.org.uk.

They can provide you with details oflocal support groups and also have anonline discussion forum.

Recovering from a broken bone

Broken bones usually take six to eight weeks to recover. Having osteoporosis doesn't affect how long this takes. Recovery depends on the type of fracture you have. Some fractures heal easily, while others mayneed more intervention.

If you have a complicatedwrist fracture or hip fracture, you may need an operation to make sure the bone is set properly.Hip replacements are often neededafter hip fractures, and some people may lose mobility as a result of weakened bones.

Osteoporosis can cause a loss of height due to fractures in the spinal column. This means the spine is no longer able to support your body's weight and causes a hunched posture.

This can be painful when it occurs, but it may also lead tolong-term (chronic)pain. Your GP or nurse may be able to help with this.

During the healing process, you may need the help of a physiotherapist or occupational therapist so you can make as full a recovery as possible.

 

There are different ways to manage pain, including:

  • medication
  • heat treatment,such aswarm baths or hot packs
  • cold treatment,such ascold packs
  • transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) this is thought to reduce pain by stimulating the nerves
  • simple relaxation techniques,massage or hypnosis

You can use more than one of these techniques at the same timeto manage your pain for example, you could combine medication, a heat pack and relaxation techniques.

Working and money

You should be able to continue working ifyou have osteoporosis. It's very important that you remain physically active and have a fulfilled lifestyle.

This will help keep your bones healthy and stop you focusing too much on your potential health problems. However, if your work involves the risk of falling or breaking a bone, seek advice from your employer,GP and the National Osteoporosis Society about how to limit your risk of having an accident or injury that could lead to a bone break.

If you can't continue working, you may be eligible for the Personal Independence Payment. People over 65 who are severely disabled may qualify for a disability benefit called Attendance Allowance.

Help for carers

You may also be entitled to certain benefits if you care for someone with osteoporosis.

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More information

  • Your guide to care and support
  • National Osteoporosis Society:Welfare rights, benefits and services (PDF, 123kb)
  • GOV.UK: Carers and disability benefits
  • Money Advice Service
Content supplied by the NHS Website

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 25 Nov 2016