Difference Osteopenia Osteoporosis

There is a big Difference Osteopenia Osteoporosis. Both  are terms the medical community uses to label unusual amounts of bone loss. But there is a big difference between the two of them. And if you have been diagnosed with either one, of course you want to understand what the difference is.

First, the word Osteoporosis means 'porous bones". If you have been diagnosed with Osteoporosis, it means that you have lost so much bone that your bones are actually pock marked with empty spaces. The image illustrates the difference between normal and  Osteoporosic bone.

Notice the empty spaces...the 'holes' in the bone in the illustration. Those spaces are not found in normal bone. And Osteoporosic bone is just like any structure that would have holes or empty spaces. Osteoporosic bone is weaker than normal bone.                                       

Think of what it would be like if one of the pillars holding up the your home developed holes, structural weaken.  If you do not want severe damage to your home, you would want to get those weakened pillars fixed fast. No one wants to risk a wall caving in or part of the roof coming down. So, too, with your bones. You want to rebuild your bones fast and you want to ensure that they will remain strong for the rest of your life.

If you have Osteopenia or Osteoporosis and a sudden or a significant stress is put on a bone, the bone could easily break or crumble along its top or bottom edge. Such breaks or crumbling are 'fractures' and avoiding fractures is the whole reason why the medical community is concerned about bone loss, why they test for it and why they try to remedy Osteopenia or Osteoporosis. 

Treatment difference Osteopenia Osteoporosis

If you have Osteoporosis, your health care provider is likely to prescribe a pharmaceutical drug as treatment.  (See: Pharmaceutical drugs Osteoporosis)

If you have been diagnosed with Osteopenia, your health care provider may not prescribed a pharmaceutical drug. (Most drugs have been approved for Osteoporosis treatment, not Osteopenia treatment.) Instead your heath care provider may make some recommendations about nutrition and weight bearing exercises. But those are not your only options.                                                                                     

Whether you have Osteporosis or Osteopenia there are a whole host of things that you can do to prevent fractures and increase your bone density.

First. since most fractures are the result of falls, you can spend a few minutes each day improving your balance. And since we loose some of our balance as we age, this is especially important if you are over age 40.  See: balance exercises

Second, it is a well known fact that weight bearing exercises increase bone density so you will want to do some bone building exercises about 3 times a week. See: weight bearing exercises

Third, what you eat and drink can cause bone loss OR it can help reverse bone loss by stimulating the building of new bone.  There are also herbs that have been shown to prevent bone loss or increase bone density. When you click on the link at the end of this sentence it will take you to a page that includes both...you just need to scroll down the page to reach those topics. Reverse bone loss naturally

Yes, there is a big difference Osteopenia Osteoporosis...but the keys to remedying each are the same. Do be sure that you know ALL the Causes of your bone loss so you can address each one. And do check out the Natural treatments Osteopenia, Osteoporosis.

End of article: Difference Osteopenia Osteoporosis