Osteopenia vs Osteoporosis

Osteopenia vs Osteoporosis. These are two terms that are used by health care providers to show the degree of bone loss you may be experiencing.

Let's see what they mean.  

Osteoporosis means porous bones (Osteo is latin for bone. Porosis means porous). So what does it mean to have porous bones? Well, it means that your inner bones' lattice like structure is deteriorating. Your bones are not so solid anymore.  This is why Osteoporosis creates such a risk for fractures.  Your bones are less able to handle the stresses of every day life.

Osteopenia, on the other hand, is a term meaning 'little porous' - in other words there is bone loss but not enough to make larger size openings in your bone structure.  As we begin to lose bone (Ostepenia)  the openings  in our bone structure become larger than what is found i normal bone. our bones look slightly porous because the openings are larger that they would be in normal bone. And if we continue to lose bone, those openings become even larger so that our bones look porous - hence the name Osteoporosis.

Osteopenia vs Osteoporosis: A VERY Important difference

Why is the difference between these two conditions so important?  Porous bones (Osteoporosis) are much weaker. If  a sudden or unexpected signifant pressure is placed on a porous bone, it may snap (fracture). Or in the case of your spine one of the edges (usually the front edge) may crumble. When that happens you usually develop a back hump (kyphosis). 

You may have noticed elders who have back humps. Some lean on shopping carts when doing their grocery shopping. Their back humps are often the result of small fractures to the front edge of their vertebrae. 

Don't let that happen to you. You can increase your bone density.  There are many ways to do this.  Please read about potential Natural Treatments that you can use to increase your spinal bone density.  And there are a number of Pharmeceutical treatments available to treat your bones loss too..  If you work at bone building faithfully over the next few years you may find that Osteopenia vs Osteoporosis terminology is not longer be an issue. You will have regained normal bone density  once again.  

In the meantime you want to avoid falls and here is a page that can help you improve your balance so you are less likely to fall.