Osteoporosis And Men: Finding Relief From Your Severe Back Pain

For some men, osteoporosis can make life very difficult to get through. If your back hurts tremendously from your condition, you might know what to do about your pain, especially if it interferes with your job or family life. You can do something to make life more tolerable. Find out how with the information below.

How Does Osteoporosis Affect Your Spine?

As a young man, your bones lose and replace bone tissue on a regular basis. Your bones are also able to absorb and utilize the calcium, vitamin D, and other minerals they need quickly and efficiently. But once you reach your seventies, your bones begin to lose more bone tissue and minerals than they can replace. You eventually develop osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis can affect any bone in your body, including your spine. The bones in your spinal column are designed to keep your upper body upright and straight. However, osteoporosis can make your spinal bones too weak and brittle to support the weight of your upper body. In addition, your spinal bones may fracture easily if you fall, move the wrong way, or place too much stress on your back. 

If you take precautions now, you can find relief from your pain and protect your spinal bones from fractures.

How Do Find Relief?

One of the ways you can ease your back pain is to change the way you lie in bed at night. Certain sleeping positions can change the curvature of your spine, including lying on your stomach. When you sleep on your stomach, you flatten out the spinal bones in your lower back. It may be better for your back and osteoporosis if you sleep on your sides or on your back. Always support your head, neck, and back with pillows to help keep your spine straight. 

Also, eat plenty of leafy green vegetables to help replenish your bones' calcium. Unless a doctor advises you to do so, avoid taking OTC calcium supplements. Ingesting too much calcium may potentially lead to heart disease in men. 

If your back still hurts after trying the tips above, see an orthopedist for an exam. Osteoporosis can cause bone fractures without warning. If you do have a fractured bone in your spine, an orthopedist may begin treatment right away. Bone fractures can deform the spine or cause other significant problems, including dowager's hump. 

To find out more about your back pain, contact a spine treatment specialist for an appointment.