What is Osteoporosis?

Most folks are familiar with osteoporosis. We’ve probably heard it mentioned, maybe a grandparent or parent had it, or it’s popped up in the health news. Many of us, however, have not done a deep-dive into the condition… until we are diagnosed with it.

So, what exactly is osteoporosis?

When we look at the origin of the word: osteo – por – osis, we get bone – porous – condition. It’s literally a condition of porous bones.

According to the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation:

Viewed under a microscope, healthy bone looks like a honeycomb. When osteoporosis occurs, the holes and spaces in the honeycomb are much larger than in healthy bone. Osteoporotic bones have lost density or mass and contain abnormal tissue structure. As bones become less dense, they weaken and are more likely to break.1

Fun fact: while the condition was originally termed in 1883 by French pathologist, Jean Martin Lobstein, it was added to the medical vocabularly in 1941 by American Endocrinologist Fuller Albright due to the increasing interest in menopausal health and lowered estrogen.2

We will get into the role estrogen plays in a later post.

The Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation recommends: “If you’re 50 or older and have broken a bone, ask your doctor or healthcare provider about a bone density test.”

I did break a bone at age 50. I was walking a dog when we stopped for her to sniff around. I didn’t realize I was standing near an ant hill until I felt one on my leg. I shook off my shoe and then drove the toe of my runner down into the sidewalk to knock off any stragglers. I soon felt woozy as my big toe swelled up inside my shoe. I’d broken it.

No one suggested a bone density scan and no one noticed anything strange about the x-ray. I would have never thought about osteoporosis at that time.

It wasn’t until a swollen toe sent me to a podiatrist nearly 4 years later who commented that my foot x-rays looked odd and recommended a bone scan.

Here’s the good news:

If you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, you are not alone. According to BHOF, about 54 million Americans have osteoporosis and low bone mass.

I’m Canadian. Apparently, over 2 million of us have the condition. And 32 million Europeans. Millions of South Americans and about 13 million in Japan. An estimated 61 million in India and up to 145 million in China.

So, you see, you are in excellent company!

Even better news:

Bones can be strengthened.

Bones are living tissue that respond to physical stress and nutrition. We will explore all-things bone health together in this blog series and support your journey alongside my own.

Thanks for being here,

Stephanie