Does osteoporosis cause pain?

Hi Kathleen.

I've had chronic back pain for a few years and when I saw one doctor and told him I had osteoporosis, he asked if I got back pain. I'm guessing it's not that silent. I'm wondering if I should have taken HRT at menopause but I'd heard so many bad things about that and never bothered.

I could not have HRT as I have had two sisters with breast cancer.

Maybe we could have addressed the bone issue if we had known there was one prior to menopause.

I did not have a Dexa scan until 70 which was too late for me but I did not know anything about this issue til recently unfortunately.

Hello Patty, long-time-no-contact. How is your OP doing? It would be nice to chat with you again.

Regards

Aristotle.

Good idea bout the X-ray. It was an X-ray that picked up my arthritis and bulging discs and mild scoliosis.

That is very helpful Amy. Can you tell us what kind of exercises you do?

Hi Kathleen, i had a disc problem in my 30s but continued excercising (high impact aerobics,horse riding etc)...i thought that my back was not going going to stop me 'keeping fit'.(.that was also in the bad old days when proper footware was not considered essentiial) so i used to push thrugh the pain (walking for longer than an hr was painful as was sitting on some chairs in a cafe or a soft or very hard settee.

About 15 yrs I joined a gym and the trainer told me I had to improve my back muscles to suppoert my spine...the 1st type of exercise was using those a big balance ball (air filled ..dont know hwat their official name is)

​Stand with my back against a wall and hold the ball between the wall and my back and slowing go down the wall (rolling with the ball) keeping my back straight.Go down until my upper legs and lower leg are at 90 degrees and dont push your kneews over your toes. This I continued for maybe 10 repetitions X 3 (in a circuit ) building it up gradually . Also the horizontal 'plank' strenghens the stomach and back muscles..again building this up .

​once the back muscles are stronger I then moved to machines working on my back muscles before moving on to dumbells..

​Since I got tendonitis in 2 places on my left arm I have stopped using weights when it flares up and can take 2 /3 weeks to subside..I now stick with 1kg dumbells and do various exercises for 30 to 40 mins three times a week...when tendonitis lets me.

Thanks shaq26875. I do own a ball like that actually.

I can do the plank in the pool using the rail off the steps and I lie flat holding on with my arms and feet touching the step.

I have severe osteoporosis in the back and mild scoliosis and something in the sacroiliac that possibly comes off the nerves in the herniated discs.

My GP says my lumbar issues are very serious.

My husband says that some of the exercises I do in the pool will help the muscles in the back like the Dumbbells swirled under the water as I can feel it in the back. The shoulder exercises I do connect to the back too.

I do exercises to build muscle to support my knees and the same thing with the shoulders but all in the pool.

I cannot remember your situation with osteoporosis so can you remind me.

Are you taking anything? Also, what are your tscores?

Thanks for the information on building muscle to support the back and I will do what I can of that.

 

My score is not bad -2.86, I was prescibed zolendronic acid (through i.v) once yearly but decided not to go with it...so managing with diet and excercises (and supplements when i can remember). i have had bad falls and not broken any bones so that makes me think that i do not need the injection. however as time progresses and scores worsen (if they do) then i will re think ...but until then ...no meds and no climbing up ladders to reach top cuboards or brining down heavey suticases standing on a ladder...bascially trynig to limit bad falls.

​btw kathllen you can also do back and stomach exercises using a noodle in the pool (strong stomach muscles is a strong back the gym trainer told me) ..get inventive with that noodle

The key to changing bone density is to stress the bone a bit using our muscles. Kind of hard to know if an exercise is doing this.  I do believe doing a rep slow verses fast is better. Not using momentum to do next rep. So I'm doing real slow lifts and exhaling slowly with it, then inhaling slowly and deep when releasing the lift which also uses the concentric muscles I believe. 

But the deep breathing is supposed to be good too. 

 

For planks I thought we should hold them for 20-30 seconds. I'm assuming elbow plank is harder than arms straight, I wonder if straight arms does anything for strength??? 

I expect this is why exercise like tai chi is good, because it involves slow, sustained movement.  I'm going to speculate that the plank is really good for core muscles, and because you are putting weight on your upper arm, that should be benefiting too, and maybe the shoulders?  I also do pushups and feel that they must be helping my entire arms, including the wrists, but I don't think I can hold them long.  Must try this evening! 

Oh ok shaq that sounds good. I do a fair bit with both the noodle and the Dumbbells. My husband does hundreds but I don't because I think that would be far too much for me. I do more variety but only about 30 or so except for the step ups.

I use a wheeled walker everywhere.

Thanks for all that.

m8 get a new gym trainner as muscles have not thing to do with your bones thinning ps u should take the meds just incase m8 i was sleeping and broke 3 bones in my back the pain is unreal and i dont mine pain worst thing ever get on the meds cause it will only get worst not better m8 take care 

 

It is to support the bones. I do knee exercises that support the bones.

Yes, they work, stops knee pain!

You broke three bones hike,you were sleeping. That is awful!

What is your t score and what Meds are you taking?

Correction...while not hike lol

Doing reps slowly and slowly building up with weights also increases muscle bulk, fast and increasin number of reps (instead of weight) increases tone without builiding muscles...I found increasing reps too boring and increased weights (more of a challenge)  and ended up getting bulky (lost it all since then)

I was started off on holding a plank position for 45 secs increasing it to a minute...I find the elbow plank more difficult to hold (difficult to stop my middle sagging) than arms straight.

​Stronger stomach muscles leads to stronger back muscles (stops discs slipping) and maybe less damage during a fall?

that happen in jan i have been gaving sandoz and tbh they have just left me to rot cause they cant fix it . and the pain killers are targinact 2 2omg night and day i have tryed all kinds nt thing worked i started taking a joint or 2 difo better then the pills pain is as bad 5 long months and nt thing has happen to help me really pitty much a big sock at my age am fit play lots of sports now am nt aloud to do any sports at all 

ps i c u asking what score what is that as i say i have been told i have it and just left to it am on sick from work and my 6 months half pay is up soon and dont no what is going to happen 

may i ask amy _may have you broke any bones in your back i got 3 wile i was sleeping 

...had a difficult time reading your posts with your shortcuts, but it sounds like you have been going through a really rough time. I was so sorry to hear it. It looks like your posts were 3 months ago, so I hope my post finds you much better.  I see so many posts of people with severe OP but still very active. I'm wondering why I'm not one of them. I'm having a very difficult time...spend way too much time laying down because that's where I can find relief! Would you let me know how you're doing?

I am not terribly active either if that is any consolation. I have two herniated discs as well as the osteoporosis. Also, something in and around my sacroiliac causes problems if I do much or sit on a hard straight chair. 

I think it is individual and also depends on other issues you may have and I have quite a few other health conditions.

Maybe we should celebrate what we can do rather than beating ourselves up about how little physical activity we do.

Kudos to us for any small activity we do whether physical or not.