Osteoporosis affects 35% of all women in the United States who are age 65 and older. To put it more simply, you have a one in three chance, as a woman, of developing osteoporosis after menopause. If you already know that you have osteoporosis, despite your age, then you want to be sure that you will not break any bones.
The thing is, you do not even have to fall to break a bone when you have osteoporosis! Being the bottom partner during sex is enough to create a compression fracture in your spine, and hitting your wrist on a hard surface can cause a fracture, too. You have to figure out other ways to participate in most of the physical activities you used to do. Additionally, here are some of the osteoporotic fracture treatments you might have to undergo if you do not change the way you do physical activities and end up with a fracture.
Rest and Pain Medication
Doctors try to avoid surgery as much as possible, especially in older patients who do not heal quite as quickly. With spinal fractures, your doctor will initially order bed rest and pain medication. After a few weeks, he or she will change it up and tell you to begin physical therapy and/or a round of special exercises. In extreme cases, you may be on longer bed rest and have to wear a body brace or the ever-sexy body cast to immobilize your torso and spine.
Wrists and Casts
If you break your wrist, which ranks as third in the list of common osteoporosis-related breaks, you only have to wear a cast. Usually this type of break happens when you fall forward and you put your hands out to catch yourself before your face hits the ground. (It can also happen if you fall backward and try to brace yourself. Senior citizens who play tennis often break a wrist this way.) Thankfully, the type of cast used to immobilize your wrist still allows you to use your fingers and you do not have to be on bed rest.
Bone Cement
There are two surgical procedures for spinal and hip fractures that use bone cement. Neither of these is very comfortable. If your doctor says that bone cement is the only way, be prepared for the fact that you will not be able to move that part of the body in the same way again.
For more information, contact companies like Radius.