Osteoporosis is a disease that causes thinning of bones. Over time, this weakens the bones and can make them more fragile and more likely to break—even under minor stress or spontaneously. It can affect any bone, but the hip, spine, and wrist are most often involved.

People with osteoporosis may not get any symptoms. Some may have pain in their bones and muscles. Sometimes, a collapsed vertebra may cause severe pain, decrease in height, or spinal deformity such as a hunched back. Because many people do not experience symptoms, or may not associate their symptoms with osteoporosis, the condition can be left unchecked until advance symptoms, such a broken bone, occur. Osteoporosis is, in fact, the leading reason of broken bones among the elderly. That’s why understanding the risk factors and prevention tactics is so crucial. [Read more…]