Pain in the spine

Pain in the back and spine can generally occur in any patient suffering from osteoporosis. However, they are particularly typical in women after the menopause. For them, pain in the spine is often the first symptom of the disease. Nevertheless, it must of course be mentioned that osteoporosis is only one possible cause of back and spinal pain in this population group, too, and that often it is simply an incorrect load on the spine (e.g. overloading during heavy physical work, unfavorable posture) that is the trigger for the complaints.

Pain in the hip

While women after menopause most often complain of back pain in connection with osteoporosis, older patients very often experience acute pain in the hip. Frequently, those affected report about an accident event involving a fall on the affected hip. Mostly the neck of the femur is then affected and either compressed or even broken (the latter case is usually a highly dramatic clinical picture).

In addition to the pain, a malposition of the leg with shortening and rotation outwards can often be noticed. Depending on the type and extent of the bone injury, this disease is treated either surgically or conservatively by sparing it. A fracture in particular often represents an extremely important break in the lives of older patients, which can greatly impair their mobility and thus their independence in the long term. For this reason, a physician should be consulted if the pain in the hip persists for a longer period of time. This physician can distinguish osteoporosis from other possible causes (e.g. osteoarthritis of the hip joint) and initiate appropriate measures to reduce the risk of a fracture.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of osteoporosis is generally based on the presentation of reduced bone density by x-ray or by specific procedures of osteodensitometry (bone densitometry). The latter can be seen as a supplement to X-rays, as they offer better resolution in cases of doubt, especially in early stages.If a reduction in bone density is measured in younger patients, a search should be made for metabolic diseases that could promote such a process. These include primarily diseases of the hormone metabolism (e.g. (secondary) hyperthyroidism, Cushing’s disease, diabetes mellitus) or a vitamin D deficiency, which can be due to impaired kidney function, among other things.