Table of Contents
- Overview
- Symptoms
- Treatment
- Prevention
- Images
Thin bones
Symptoms
There are no symptoms in the early stages of the disease.
Symptoms occurring late in the disease include:
Bone pain or tenderness -
Fractures with little or no trauma - Loss of height (as much as 6 inches) over time
- Low back pain due to fractures of the spinal bones
-
Neck pain due to fractures of the spinal bones - Stooped posture or
kyphosis , also called a "dowager's hump"
Signs and tests
Bone mineral density testing (specifically a densitometry or DEXA scan) measures how much bone you have. Your health care provider uses this test to predict your risk for bone fractures in the future. For information about when testing should be done, see
A special type of
In severe cases, a
You may need other blood and urine tests if your osteoporosis is thought to be due to a medical condition, rather than simply the usual bone loss seen with older age.
Images
Review Date: 11/08/2010
Reviewed By: Ari S. Eckman, MD, Chief, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and
Metabolism, Trinitas Regional Medical Center, Elizabeth, NJ. Review
provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David
Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)

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