Bone Diseases

Your bones help you move, give you shape and support your body. They are living tissues that rebuild constantly throughout your life. During childhood and your teens, your body adds new bone faster than it removes old bone. After about age 20, you can lose bone faster than you make bone. To have strong bones when you are young, and to prevent bone loss when you are older, you need to get enough calcium, vitamin D, and exercise. You should also avoid smoking and drinking too much alcohol.

Bone diseases can make bones easy to break. Different kinds of bone problems include

Low bone density and osteoporosis, which make your bones weak and more likely to break
Osteogenesis imperfecta makes your bones brittle
Paget's disease of bone makes them weak
Bones can also develop cancer and infections
Other bone diseases, which are caused by poor nutrition, genetics, or problems with the rate of bone growth or rebuilding

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Symptoms of Bone Diseases

The following features are indicative of Bone Diseases:

skeletal deformities
bone pain
fracture
deafness
depression

It is possible that Bone Diseases shows no physical symptoms and still is present in a patient.

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Common Causes of Bone Diseases

The following are the most common causes of Bone Diseases:

genetic abnormalities
developmental defects
poor nutrition

Risk Factors for Bone Diseases

The following factors may increase the likelihood of Bone Diseases:

low levels of vitamin D
older age
low body weight
premature menopause
family history
smoking
heavy alcohol consumption
inactivity
estrogen or testosterone deficiency during adolescence

Prevention of Bone Diseases

Yes, it may be possible to prevent Bone Diseases. Prevention may be possible by doing the following:

proper nutritional intake
exercise regularly
avoid smoking
enough vitamin D and calcium intake

Occurrence of Bone Diseases

Number of Cases

The following are the number of Bone Diseases cases seen each year worldwide:

Common between 1 - 10 Million cases

Common Age Group

Bone Diseases can occur at any age.

Common Gender

Bone Diseases can occur in any gender.

Lab Tests and Procedures for Diagnosis of Bone Diseases

The following lab tests and procedures are used to detect Bone Diseases:

Alkaline phosphatase test: To detect the liver disease or bone disorders
Bone biopsy: To remove tissue or cells from the body for diagnosing bone diseases
Bone density scan: To
Bone markers: To evaluate bone loss and detect some bone diseases
Bone scan: To diagnose the type of bone disease
Bone x-ray: To view at the bones
Calcium test: To diagnose the variety of conditions relating to the bones, heart, nerves, kidneys, and teeth

Doctor for Diagnosis of Bone Diseases

Patients should visit the following specialists if they have symptoms of Bone Diseases:

Orthopedic surgeon
Endocrinologists
Rheumatologists
Geriatricians
Internists
Physiatrists

Complications of Bone Diseases if untreated

Yes, Bone Diseases causes complications if it is not treated. Below is the list of complications and problems that may arise if Bone Diseases is left untreated:

fractures
bone deformity
pain

Procedures for Treatment of Bone Diseases

The following procedures are used to treat Bone Diseases:

Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty: Treats the painful vertebral compression fractures in the spinal column
Chemotherapy: To kill cancer cells
Radiation therapy: To kill cancer cells
Surgery: Help fractures heal, replace joints damaged by severe arthritis, realign deformed bones and reduce pressure on nerves

Medicines for Bone Diseases

Below is the list of medicines used for Bone Diseases:

Calcium Carbonate/Vitamin D3

Brands:

Self-care for Bone Diseases

The following self-care actions or lifestyle changes may help in the treatment or management of Bone Diseases:

Avoid smoking: Lowers the rates of bone loss and the chance of experiencing a fracture
Limit excessive alcohol: Reduces the risk of falling
Prevent falls: Wear low-heeled shoes with nonslip soles
Eat well: Adequate levels of calcium and vitamin D helps bones absorb calcium and make them strong
Exercise regularly: Helps maintaining joint mobility and bone strength

Alternative Medicine for Treatment of Bone Diseases

The following alternate medicine and therapies are known to help in the treatment or management of Bone Diseases:

Physiotherapy: Strengthen the muscles and improves motility
Acupuncture therapy: Reduce many types of pain, including that caused by some types of arthritis
Yoga: Improve joint flexibility and range of motion in people with some types of arthritis
Massage therapy: Increases blood flow and warm affected joints

Patient Support for Treatment of Bone Diseases

The following actions may help Bone Diseases patients:

Join resources centres: Provides the detailed information about medications used to treat the osteoporosis
Education: Helps patient to become more confident in making treatment decisions
Friends and family support: Helps by providing emotional support
Support groups: Join support groups and talk to people with similar experiences helps reducing stress

Time for Treatment of Bone Diseases

While time-period of treatment for each patient may vary, below is the typical time-period for Bone Diseases to resolve if treated properly under an expert supervision: