Osteoporosis

What is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis refers to thinning and weakening of normal bone—literally, “porous bone.” Patients with osteoporosis have weaker bones and have a greater risk of fractures. The bones most often affected are the hips, spine, and wrists.

Decreased estrogen after menopause can lead to what’s called Type I osteoporosis in women. Type II osteoporosis is due to aging and lower amounts of calcium over many years. While this also occurs in men, it is twice as common in women.

Osteoporosis affects 10 million Americans—80% of them women—while another 34 million Americans have low bone mass (osteopenia), putting them at increased risk for developing osteoporosis.

By the Numbers

1 in 3 women experience a bone fracture from osteoporosis after age 50

UR Medicine's Treatments for Osteoporosis

UR Medicine uses the most advanced diagnostic tools available to develop a complete understanding of your condition, its causes, and the path we will take to help you.

During a full physical exam, we take a detailed medical history and might ask about additional symptoms that you may not realize could be connected to bone disease. Once we have a complete picture of your symptoms and your health, our doctors will order imaging and other tests to find the cause.

You may receive a DXA scan to measure bone density at key places in your body, including your spine and hip. DXA uses a weak form of X-ray to scan your bones quickly. It’s a painless test, using a scanner that passes over you as you lie on a padded table.

After your diagnosis, you and your doctor will work together to determine the best treatment based on your age, health, personal preference, and other factors.

Treatments include many approaches such as diet changes, drug therapy, physical activity and, if needed, assistive devices, as well as calcium supplements.

What Sets Us Apart?

UR Medicine is one of only a handful of health systems in the country that combines complete orthopaedic care with the treatment of metabolic bone disease such as osteoporosis for patients of all ages.

We bring together providers with expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of all adult and pediatric metabolic bone diseases. We have been providing these services to the community for over 25 years.

Our rheumatologists in Allergy, Immunology & Rheumatology can treat osteoporosis caused by rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis or spondyloarthritis, as well as steroid-induced osteoporosis.

The specialists in UR Medicine Orthopaedics & Physical Performance are experts in fracture care, the first to spot and treat fractures that are often the initial symptoms of metabolic bone disease. In addition, we are the only program in the greater Rochester area that can diagnose and treat children as young as 5.