Your bones are important for providing structure to your body and protecting your internal organs. Conditions that can affect your bones include:
Bone diseases may lead to:
Bone disorders don’t always cause symptoms. For example, many people with osteoporosis don’t know they have the condition until they break a bone.
Injuries often cause bone problems. For example, you may experience damage to a nearby blood vessel when you break a bone, which can cause osteonecrosis. Osteonecrosis is death of bone tissue due to lack of blood supply which causes tiny breaks in the bone that become larger over time.
Genetics can also play a role in bone disease. If you have a family history of a bone-related medical condition, you may be more likely to develop that disease.
You may have a greater risk of developing bone disease if you:
Women also tend to develop osteoporosis at higher rates. In particular, the disease becomes more common right before menopause. However, men more frequently develop osteoporosis after the age of 70.
Bone problems are often diagnosed with X-rays. Other imaging tests such as MRIs or CT scans may also help your doctor identify changes to your bones.
Doctors can check your bone density with a bone scan. This test can diagnose osteopenia (bone loss) and osteoporosis. Experts recommend that women who are 65 or older or who have certain risk factors undergo regular screening to check their bone density.
When a bone disease affects the tissue located within a joint, it can also cause joint problems like arthritis. This can cause the joints to swell, stiffen, or become painful.
Your treatment will depend on which condition you have, how severe your symptoms are, how old you are, and which bones are affected.
Medications and physical therapy can help treat many bone diseases. If your symptoms prevent you from moving like you normally would or completing daily activities, walking aids such as crutches, a cane, or a walker may help.
When bone disease is severe, surgery may be needed. For example, you may need to have a joint replacement if your bones become too damaged in a location such as your hip or knee.
Lifestyle changes, including the following, can help keep your bones healthy:
If you are at risk of experiencing low bone density, your doctor may recommend taking medications that help keep your bones strong and prevent osteopenia or osteoporosis.
Lifestyle changes, including the following, can help keep your bones healthy:
If you are at risk of experiencing low bone density, your doctor may recommend taking medications that help keep your bones strong and prevent osteopenia or osteoporosis.