Symptoms

Most people with osteoporosis do not have any symptoms and do not know they have the problem. One early sign can be a loss of height caused by curvature or compression of the spine, which is caused by weakened vertebrae (spine bones). The weakened vertebrae develop tiny breaks called compression fractures that cause the spine bones to collapse vertically. When this happens, the vertebrae become shorter, and the shape of each single vertebra goes from a normal rectangle to a more triangular form. Although the loss of height caused by compression fractures sometimes can cause back pain or aching, it usually does not cause any symptoms.

Osteoporosis usually does not cause pain unless a bone is fractured.