Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosisCopingPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prognosis
Coping
Prevention
Whenosteoporosisdevelops after menopause—the stage when menstruation officially stops after 12 straight months without a period—it’s known as postmenopausal osteoporosis. A drop in the body’s production ofestrogenduring this time is responsible, as the sex hormone is essential for protecting bone health.
Fortunately, there are ways to help manage postmenopausal osteoporosis and prevent further bone loss from happening. This article provides an overview of postmenopausal osteoporosis, offering tips on treatment options and coping with the condition.
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Postmenopausal Osteoporosis Symptoms
The symptoms of postmenopausal osteoporosis usually aren’t obvious. Osteoporosis tends to develop slowly and silently, and many people don’t realize they have the condition until a bone fractures, or breaks, suddenly.
In addition to the traditionalmenopause symptoms, some people might notice the following signs and symptoms with postmenopausal osteoporosis:
Bone loss causes osteoporosis. In postmenopausal osteoporosis, this bone loss is due to extremely low estrogen levels.
After menopause, the ovaries don’t make as much estrogen—and the hormone is key for building and protecting bone density.This sudden estrogen decrease leads tostages of bone loss, which starts a year before menopause and can last for roughly three years.
Plus, in general, women have a greater risk ofdeveloping osteoporosisthan men. Experts think this is due in part to having smaller, thinner bones and a longer life span, on average.(Note that when health authorities or research is cited, the terms for sex or gender from the source are used.)
How Common Is Osteoporosis?Osteoporosisis the most common bone disease.Worldwide, it’s estimated that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over the age of 50 will experience a broken bone due to osteoporosis.
How Common Is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosisis the most common bone disease.Worldwide, it’s estimated that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over the age of 50 will experience a broken bone due to osteoporosis.
Other causes of osteoporosis are medications, such as steroids,proton pump inhibitors(used for acid reflux and peptic ulcers),and the overuse of thyroid hormones.
A healthcare provider may use a few different tools to helpdiagnose a case of postmenopausal osteoporosis. These might include one or more of the following:
Postmenopausal Osteoporosis Screening
Experts recommend postmenopausal people older than age 65 should have a bone mineral density (or BMD) test done. Those who are past menopause but younger than 65 should still consider getting a BMD test performed, particularly if they have a high risk of bone fractures.People who are transgender should discuss screening with a healthcare provider.
Treatment plansfor postmenopausal osteoporosis typically include some combination of medications and lifestyle changes, and may have a particular emphasis on menopausal hormone therapy.
The following options are common for treating osteoporosis:
Your healthcare provider will likely continue to use DEXA scans to help monitor how your treatment plan is going. Because it can take time to see improvements in bone health, another DEXA test may be performed a year or more after treatment begins.
While anyone can develop osteoporosis, it disproportionately affects women compared to men. For example, statistics estimate that postmenopausal osteoporosis affects roughly 1 in 4 women.
Because of this risk, experts stress the importance of sticking to a long-term treatment plan for postmenopausal osteoporosis patients. Some studies have shown that people with osteoporosis who experience bone fractures may have an increased mortality risk compared to the general population.
Living with postmenopausal osteoporosis can be a challenging and painful experience. In addition to the stress that can come along with the diagnosis of a bone disease, osteoporosis often causes several painful bone fractures that can take months to fully heal.
To help you cope, experts recommend working with a healthcare provider to maintain a chronic pain management plan that’s best for you. This might involve components like:
Locking in those habits will help prepare you for any menopause-related bone changes when you reach that stage.
Summary
Symptoms aren’t typically noticeable, but may include severe bone or joint pain, a hunched posture, or loss of height. These signs may not be obvious unless a sudden bone fracture or break happens during a routine, low-impact activity.
A healthcare provider will use a bone mineral density scan to help diagnose postmenopausal osteoporosis. Treatment plans usually include a combination of medications, dietary changes, and lifestyle adjustments. Menopausal hormone therapy will also be considered to help replenish estrogen levels.
16 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sözen T, Özışık L, Başaran NÇ.An overview and management of osteoporosis.Eur J Rheumatol.2017;4(1):46-56. doi:10.5152/eurjrheum.2016.048National Institutes of Health Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center.Osteoporosis overview.Office on Women’s Health.Osteoporosis.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.FAQs: osteoporosis.MedlinePlus.Osteoporosis.International Osteoporosis Foundation.What is osteoporosis?.Panday K, Gona A, Humphrey MB.Medication-induced osteoporosis: screening and treatment strategies.Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2014;6(5):185-202. doi:10.1177/1759720X14546350American Bone Health.Medicines that can be bad for your bones.Moritz M, Knezevich E, Spangler M.Updates in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.US Pharm.2019;44(9):32-35.Cohen A.Premenopausal Osteoporosis.Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am.2017 Mar;46(1):117-133. doi:10.1016/j.ecl.2016.09.007Tella SH, Gallagher JC.Prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2014;142:155-70. doi:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2013.09.008Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Percentage of adults aged 65 and over with osteoporosis or low bone mass at the femur neck or lumbar spine: United States, 2005-2010.Abrahamsen B, Osmond C, Cooper C.Life expectancy in patients treated for osteoporosis: observational cohort study using national Danish prescription data.J Bone Miner Res. 2015;30(9):1553-9. doi:10.1002/jbmr.2478Gorter EA, Reinders CR, Krijnen P, Appelman-Dijkstra NM, Schipper IB.The effect of osteoporosis and its treatment on fracture healing a systematic review of animal and clinical studies.Bone Reports. 2021;15:101117. doi:10.1016/j.bonr.2021.101117Paolucci T, Saraceni VM, Piccinini G.Management of chronic pain in osteoporosis: challenges and solutions.J Pain Res. 2016;9:177-186. doi:10.2147/JPR.S83574National Institute on Aging.Osteoporosis.
16 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sözen T, Özışık L, Başaran NÇ.An overview and management of osteoporosis.Eur J Rheumatol.2017;4(1):46-56. doi:10.5152/eurjrheum.2016.048National Institutes of Health Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center.Osteoporosis overview.Office on Women’s Health.Osteoporosis.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.FAQs: osteoporosis.MedlinePlus.Osteoporosis.International Osteoporosis Foundation.What is osteoporosis?.Panday K, Gona A, Humphrey MB.Medication-induced osteoporosis: screening and treatment strategies.Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2014;6(5):185-202. doi:10.1177/1759720X14546350American Bone Health.Medicines that can be bad for your bones.Moritz M, Knezevich E, Spangler M.Updates in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.US Pharm.2019;44(9):32-35.Cohen A.Premenopausal Osteoporosis.Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am.2017 Mar;46(1):117-133. doi:10.1016/j.ecl.2016.09.007Tella SH, Gallagher JC.Prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2014;142:155-70. doi:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2013.09.008Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Percentage of adults aged 65 and over with osteoporosis or low bone mass at the femur neck or lumbar spine: United States, 2005-2010.Abrahamsen B, Osmond C, Cooper C.Life expectancy in patients treated for osteoporosis: observational cohort study using national Danish prescription data.J Bone Miner Res. 2015;30(9):1553-9. doi:10.1002/jbmr.2478Gorter EA, Reinders CR, Krijnen P, Appelman-Dijkstra NM, Schipper IB.The effect of osteoporosis and its treatment on fracture healing a systematic review of animal and clinical studies.Bone Reports. 2021;15:101117. doi:10.1016/j.bonr.2021.101117Paolucci T, Saraceni VM, Piccinini G.Management of chronic pain in osteoporosis: challenges and solutions.J Pain Res. 2016;9:177-186. doi:10.2147/JPR.S83574National Institute on Aging.Osteoporosis.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Sözen T, Özışık L, Başaran NÇ.An overview and management of osteoporosis.Eur J Rheumatol.2017;4(1):46-56. doi:10.5152/eurjrheum.2016.048National Institutes of Health Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center.Osteoporosis overview.Office on Women’s Health.Osteoporosis.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.FAQs: osteoporosis.MedlinePlus.Osteoporosis.International Osteoporosis Foundation.What is osteoporosis?.Panday K, Gona A, Humphrey MB.Medication-induced osteoporosis: screening and treatment strategies.Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2014;6(5):185-202. doi:10.1177/1759720X14546350American Bone Health.Medicines that can be bad for your bones.Moritz M, Knezevich E, Spangler M.Updates in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.US Pharm.2019;44(9):32-35.Cohen A.Premenopausal Osteoporosis.Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am.2017 Mar;46(1):117-133. doi:10.1016/j.ecl.2016.09.007Tella SH, Gallagher JC.Prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2014;142:155-70. doi:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2013.09.008Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Percentage of adults aged 65 and over with osteoporosis or low bone mass at the femur neck or lumbar spine: United States, 2005-2010.Abrahamsen B, Osmond C, Cooper C.Life expectancy in patients treated for osteoporosis: observational cohort study using national Danish prescription data.J Bone Miner Res. 2015;30(9):1553-9. doi:10.1002/jbmr.2478Gorter EA, Reinders CR, Krijnen P, Appelman-Dijkstra NM, Schipper IB.The effect of osteoporosis and its treatment on fracture healing a systematic review of animal and clinical studies.Bone Reports. 2021;15:101117. doi:10.1016/j.bonr.2021.101117Paolucci T, Saraceni VM, Piccinini G.Management of chronic pain in osteoporosis: challenges and solutions.J Pain Res. 2016;9:177-186. doi:10.2147/JPR.S83574National Institute on Aging.Osteoporosis.
Sözen T, Özışık L, Başaran NÇ.An overview and management of osteoporosis.Eur J Rheumatol.2017;4(1):46-56. doi:10.5152/eurjrheum.2016.048
National Institutes of Health Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center.Osteoporosis overview.
Office on Women’s Health.Osteoporosis.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.FAQs: osteoporosis.
MedlinePlus.Osteoporosis.
International Osteoporosis Foundation.What is osteoporosis?.
Panday K, Gona A, Humphrey MB.Medication-induced osteoporosis: screening and treatment strategies.Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2014;6(5):185-202. doi:10.1177/1759720X14546350
American Bone Health.Medicines that can be bad for your bones.
Moritz M, Knezevich E, Spangler M.Updates in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.US Pharm.2019;44(9):32-35.
Cohen A.Premenopausal Osteoporosis.Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am.2017 Mar;46(1):117-133. doi:10.1016/j.ecl.2016.09.007
Tella SH, Gallagher JC.Prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2014;142:155-70. doi:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2013.09.008
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Percentage of adults aged 65 and over with osteoporosis or low bone mass at the femur neck or lumbar spine: United States, 2005-2010.
Abrahamsen B, Osmond C, Cooper C.Life expectancy in patients treated for osteoporosis: observational cohort study using national Danish prescription data.J Bone Miner Res. 2015;30(9):1553-9. doi:10.1002/jbmr.2478
Gorter EA, Reinders CR, Krijnen P, Appelman-Dijkstra NM, Schipper IB.The effect of osteoporosis and its treatment on fracture healing a systematic review of animal and clinical studies.Bone Reports. 2021;15:101117. doi:10.1016/j.bonr.2021.101117
Paolucci T, Saraceni VM, Piccinini G.Management of chronic pain in osteoporosis: challenges and solutions.J Pain Res. 2016;9:177-186. doi:10.2147/JPR.S83574
National Institute on Aging.Osteoporosis.
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