Spinal Fractures: Are you at risk?

Age-related bone loss occurs silently and without warning. Your bones may not feel weaker, but back pain or a change in posture may indicate that bone loss has occurred.

Women lose bone mass at an accelerated rate in the first 5 -7 years after menopause. While it may seem that all bone is the same, your skeleton is actually made up of two different types of bone. Cortical bone, found in the long bones of your legs and arms, is dense and designed for strength. Trabecular bone, found in your wrists, ankles and spine, is more flexible and therefore, susceptible to fracture. Most age-related fractures occur in the trabecular bone of the spine.

Fractures can occur during everyday activities, such as bending over to pick something up or carrying a bag of groceries. What you may be tempted to dismiss as ordinary back pain could, in fact, be a spinal fracture. This type of fracture can cause pain ranging from sudden and severe, to persistent and dull. Unfortunately, having one spinal fracture greatly increases your chances of having another. Over time, multiple fractures can cause a forward curvature of the spine (dowager's hump) that can "compress" your chest cavity, making it difficult to breathe, walk, eat or sleep properly.

So what can you do? First, accept that you are at risk for fracture, just by virtue of the fact that you are a woman. Next, schedule a bone mineral density test. Suppress the urge to diagnose yourself and instead, report back pain or postural changes to your physician. A physical exam, together with an X-ray, can help determine whether or not your back pain is from a fracture.

Don't let spinal fractures rob you of your vitality and independence. Take charge of your bone health today!

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