Osteoporosis
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
You may also be entitled to certain benefits if you care for someone with osteoporosis.
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More information
Read about osteoporosis is a condition that weakens bones, making them fragile and more likely to break. Osteopenia is also a term used for bone density loss
Osteoporosis causes bones to become less dense and more fragile. Some people are more at risk than others.
Treating osteoporosis involves treating and preventing fractures and using medication to strengthen bones.
Your genes are responsible for determining your height and the strength of your skeleton, but lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise influence how healthy your bones are.
Having osteoporosis doesn't mean you'll definitely have a fracture. There are measures you can take to reduce your risk of a fall or break.
Bob Rees was diagnosed with osteoporosis after collapsing in pain on a family holiday.
Phyllis Long, aged 60, was recently diagnosed with osteoporosis after months of experiencing upper back pain.