Two medical terms that I often hear patients confuse, but are not the same & unfortunately you can be affected by both.
Osteoporosis: Brittle or thin bones. Bones break easily especially bones of the hip spine and wrist.
Can affect anyone, but risk factors for osteoporosis include:
- Getting older
- Small / thin frame
- Family history of osteoporosis
- Asian or Caucasian women
Eating diets rich in calcium & vitamin D, weight bearing exercise and smoking can help to keep bones strong.
Osteoarthritis: Inflammation of the joints. Most common type of arthritis. The loss of cartilage between bones can lead to osteoarthritis. Cartilage covers bones and helps to absorb the shock of movement. When cartilage is lost bone rubs together and cause inflammation swelling and pain.
Risk factors include:
- Being overweight
- Aging
- Previous injury to a joint
Management of osteoarthritis includes weight loss, exercise (non-weight bearing such as swimming or using the elliptical is best), medications such as NSAIDS (Motrin, Ibuprofen), glucosamine / chondroitin, capsaicin, boswella capsules, intra-articular injections and in some cases surgery.
