Fracture Risk Assessment and Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones become less dense. Bones are then more fragile and are at increased risk of fracture. It is estimated that 3 million people in the UK (1 in 20 people) are affected by osteoporosis. The difficulty with osteoporosis is that it is a ‘silent disease’ – you cannot see or feel your bones becoming less dense. Osteoporosis affects women and men. In fact, 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men in the UK over the age of 50 will at some point have a broken bone because of Osteoporosis. Often the first warning sign is a broken bone, commonly in the wrists, hips or spine.
How can my fracture risk be assessed?
- Family history of Osteoporosis
- For women, the menopause (particularly an early menopause), hysterectomy or irregular/infrequent periods
- For men, low levels of testosterone
- Back pain
- Change in the curve of the spine or loss of height
- Smoking and drinking heavily
- Reduced weight bearing exercise
- Being underweight, having an eating disorder or having a low-calcium diet
- Corticosteriod use (for asthma or arthritis)
- Medication for epilepsy
- Conditions that affect food absorbtion (e.g. Crohn’s disease or Coeliac disease)
How can Osteoporosis be detected?
If you have any of the risk factors for osteoporosis, it may be sensible to have your bone density measured, as early diagnosis and treatment are to be recommended. Bone density, from which fracture risk can be determined, can be assessed by a Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) scan. The National Osteoporosis Society considers DEXA scanning to be the most accurate and reliable means of assessing bone density and strength. This is a simple, painless procedure using very low doses of radiation (1/60th of background radiation) and only takes a few minutes.
If you think you are at risk of Osteoporosis and would like to have a DEXA scan, then we can arrange for you to have this done at one of our Chiropractic Clinics. We will check whether a scan is appropriate for you by asking a few simple questions.
The scan itself only takes a few minutes and you remain fully clothed and seated comfortably. The trained operator will take a scan of the forearm and the results can be sent to your doctor. This cost just £50.00
If you would like more information or to book an appointment for a DEXA scan then please contact one of our Chiropractic Clinics.