Carolyn Riester O'Connor

When you have osteoporosis (a skeletal disorder where your bones become porous and weak), you have increased chances of sustaining bone fractures. But which bones are most commonly broken, and how long do they take to mend? You can lessen your chances of breaking bones by knowing how to prevent falls.

Although popping a pill may be easy for instant relief of pain associated with osteoporosis, you (and your doctor) need to aim pain treatment at more than temporary relief. The nonmedication methods noted here may relieve pain and keep it from coming back. Heating it up or cooling it down Heat packs and/or ice packs can be very helpful for relieving pain, especially if the pain is localized to one spot.

Bones are like a bank; your bone "balance" stays healthy as long as you're not taking out more than you put in. That analogy may be a little simplistic but in essence, bone strength depends upon the balance between the bone cells that build bone versus those cells that break down bone. Researchers have used the "bone strength equals bone buildup minus bone loss" formula to develop drugs that prevent and treat bone loss.

You may remember the teenage angst of feeling "too fat," even when your weight barely touched the 100-pound mark. Teens today are as acutely aware of their weight, and many, if not most, teenage girls want to be thin. Unfortunately, the desire to be thin can lead to behaviors that can have disastrous consequences for bones down the road.

You might think of your skeleton as a solid, unchanging structure that the softer bits of your anatomy cling to, but that isn't entirely the case. Bone is constantly reshaping itself in a complex process of building and remodeling. You don't notice this reshaping because it happens on a microscopic level. The major players involved in the building and remodeling of the bones that make up your skeleton are The cells: Osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and osteocytes The hormones: The directors of cellular function The essential minerals: Most commonly calcium and phosphorus Blasts, clasts, and cytes An intricate balance between the activities of two major cell types referred to as the osteoblast and osteoclast determine a person's total bone mass.

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You may not have thought much about osteoporosis — until you've fractured a bone. Exactly how fast the bone heals depends somewhat on the type of bone that's broken. Bone consists of complicated living tissue of which there are two types, cortical and trabecular. Most bones contain both types of tissue: Cortical (compact) bone is about four to six times denser than trabecular bone.

Fractures and broken bones are likely if you have osteoporosis and happen to fall. Avoid a trip to the doctor: Prevent falls by following these eight safety measures: Alcohol: Keep your alcoholic beverage intake to a minimum to prevent losing your balance. Bathrooms: Install and use grab bars and nonslip tub mats or nonslip tape in your tub or shower.

So are you wondering which types of fractures are the most common with osteoporosis? If you experience any of these fractures, ask your doctor to check for osteoporosis. If you already have osteoporosis, be vigilant about preventing bone fractures. Here's a quick look at common fractures related to from osteoporosis: Hip fractures: Although hip fractures may seem to get the most publicity with osteoporosis, they aren't the most common osteoporotic fracture.