My doctor said my back pains are not from the osteoporosis. She said after one shatters or breaks their bone, then it will really hurt.
I saw on a post someone said osteoporosis is painful. What does that mean?
And if they only test a few areas with Dexa scan, should one get a scan of the rest of the spine or is it assumed it's all the way up?
My Physical Therapist asked where my osteo is so he knows I guess to avoid certain things???? Before I got scan another therapist popped my back and neck, so I'm thinking he shouldn't do that, yikes.
No to popping neck and back for sure.
They say osteoporosis is silent but I can feel something and it makes me adjust my posture.
It causes weakness too.
I had an X-ray as well which showed two herniated discs and mild scoliosis but it did not show the bones looking frail. I have tiny bones as well.
Avoid bending and twisting but keep exercise up. I only do pool exercises.
My tscores average -3.4 on the back.
So it is worth having an X-ray.
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.
I have always read that there is no pain with osteoporosis. A lot of patients also have osteoarthritis and that IS painful.
Physiotherapists must always be told where the OP is. It has been known that they have broken bones when treating someone.
HI Layne, from my understanding osteoporosis is not painful, but you may have other issues, worth speaking to your Dr to arrange an X Ray
I've got osteoporosis in my spine and osteopenia everywhere else. I quite often get quite bad lower back pain if I stand too long (this can be as little as ten minutes if I'm not moving around) or sit in the wrong chair. Always just assumed it was due to weakness in the spine.
I found going to the gym and focusing on strengthening back muscles to be really helpful, has reduced pain a lot.
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.
hey layne i have osteoporosis in my back you get it in difo places doesnt mean you have it everywere . i am 36 and 5 months ago i went to bed and woke in pain boking everywere went to hospital and found out i had that i have 3 factsures in my back and am still in the same pain doesnt get any better so i have been told if i stay lying down all day am ok but once a get up after 2 or 3 mins am fook and have to ly down to top it off am a single dad to 3 kids i have no help what so ever and it seems to me they have left me to rotten cause they cant fix osteoporosis .
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
Very sorry Paul especially as you have kids to look after.
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?