Help for Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a degenerative disease of the bone that causes the skeletal system to break down. Patients with osteoporosis are more susceptible to fractures and often have considerable pain throughout the body. There are several ways to prevent and treat the effect of osteoporosis in the body.

Prevention

• Prevent osteoporosis by adhering to a good diet. Make sure you eat calcium rich foods including milk, cheese, green leafy vegetables, fish, dried fruit and beans. Get regular sunshine for vitamin D to help the body process the calcium properly. Try to stay away from caffeine, salt and excessive protein. These product cause us to lose calcium in our urine. Abstain from drinking over your recommended allowance as alcohol prevents bones from healing properly.

Exercise

• Take regular exercise to strengthen muscles, lower bone density loss and reduce pain in joints. Speak to your doctor before starting an exercise program to see how much weight you can or can not lift. Engage in low impact aerobic sports, such as swimming, dancing, stationary bike and the elliptical machine. Do not attempt any exercises that require joints to be jarred such as running. Weight bearing and resistance exercises help muscles support the bones of the body and keep pain levels down.

Drugs

• Take prescription drugs to reduce bone loss and increase bone mass. Bisphosphonates help slow bone loss and lowers the chance of fractures. Bisphosphonates have also been shown to increase bone density in the spine and hip, according to the Mayo Clinic. Side effect for this drug can be quite severe, however.

  Raloxifene emulates estrogen in the body without the risks of estrogen treatment. Raloxifene can increase bone mass and have a relatively low amount of side effects. Blood clots are possible so those with heart trouble should not take Raloxifene.