"I Don't Get What The Doctor Told Me..." The Vocabulary Of Osteoporosis

Weight-bearing exercise: OK, now that you’ve been tested, found yourself heading towards osteoporosis, and have ensured that your calcium and vitamin D intake is sufficient—what next? Lifestyle changes, which can include cutting out smoking, reducing alcohol intake and, most important, the e-word: exercise.

And not just any exercise. Weight-bearing exercise, which is any kind of exercise you do that forces your bones to carry your weight, and your muscles to work against gravity, or against resistance. So, is swimming a weight-bearing exercise? Well, not much of one, since the water is holding your body up. Biking? No, ditto. Walking? Yeah, although recent studies have shown normal walking doesn’t do a whole lot for your bone density (though it’s great for your general health).

So, what are some good weight-bearing exercises? Any kind of running, from a slow jog to a sprint. Hiking. Jumping, which translates to step aerobics (or dancing!) Stair climbing. Pushups. And the most obvious, weight-lifting. Add to that all manner of active sports (soccer, basketball, tennis…) and you get an idea of what types of exercise will help your bones the most.

Resorption: Heard of absorption? This is the reverse. Resorption is when your bones shed; when they lose their substance. Your bones are always in flux; “remodeling,” it’s called. They break down, and they build back up. When you’re young, there’s more growth than breakdown. In middle age, the processes are about equal. In older age, your bones break down faster than they build back up. If this equation is TOO far out of whack—if your bones are breaking down way too fast, much faster than they can build—then you have osteoporosis.

You probably won’t hear much about resorption until your doctor starts talking about medication, and refers to anti-resorptive agents. These are simply drugs that slow down the rate at which your bones lose density.

Drugs used to strengthen your bones. Simple as that. They inhibit your bones from losing density. Typical bisphosphanates used to treat osteoporosis include Boniva, Fosamax, and Actonel. They’re a bit tricky to take; and they come with some uncomfortable side effects. Thus, newer drugs on the horizon may replace bisphosphanates sometime in the near future.

Wow, I feel smarter already. Next time I go see the bone nurse, I won’t leave the  office wondering what the heck she was talking about… now that I know my basic osteo-vocab words.