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<p><em>Osteoporosis is a condition that causes a decrease in bone mass and mineral density. While osteoporosis itself is not typically painful, a person may experience pain due to potential complications, such as breaking a bone.</em></p>
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<p><a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155646">Osteoporosis</a>&nbsp;can cause a person’s bone to change in strength and structure. This can affect the composition of bone and reduce the amount of important minerals, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/calcium-phosphate">calcium and phosphorous</a>. This can make bones more fragile and increase the risk of experiencing a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/173312">fracture</a>.</p>
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<p>While the condition does not typically have associations with pain, a person with osteoporosis may experience pain due to broken bones or other&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/bone-diseases">bone problems</a>. A common type of fracture that may occur is a&nbsp;<a href="https://theros.org.uk/information-and-support/osteoporosis/symptoms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">spinal compression fracture</a>. These fractures affect the bones of the spine, also known as the vertebrae.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Spinal compression fractures may&nbsp;occur&nbsp;<a href="https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/osteoporosis-and-spinal-fractures/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">due to</a>&nbsp;falls or even from certain actions such as reaching, coughing, twisting, or even sneezing. A person with this type of fracture may experience narrow and flatter vertebrae, loss of height, a rounded back, a hump, or a bent-forward posture. Spinal compression fractures may cause back pain near the site of the broken bone, and a person may feel pain in the lower back. The pain may also be the result of bones pressing on nerves, which in turn, sends pain signals to the brain.</p>
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<p>Osteoporosis also&nbsp;<a href="https://theros.org.uk/information-and-support/osteoporosis/symptoms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">commonly</a>&nbsp;affects the bones of the hips and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499972/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wrists</a>, and fractures in these bones can also cause pain. The pain someone experiences may be mild and may resolve in&nbsp;four to six weeks, but in some cases, it may be lifelong.</p>
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<p>A person with osteoporosis may receive medication from their doctor to treat the pain. Some of these&nbsp;<a href="https://theros.org.uk/information-and-support/osteoporosis/living-with-osteoporosis/managing-pain/pain-relief-medications/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">medications</a>&nbsp;may include&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/179211">nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-are-opioids">opioids</a>.</p>
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<p>A person with osteoporosis experiencing pain may also benefit from physical relief methods. Some options may include&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160645">physical therapy</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/29108#_noHeaderPrefixedContent">heat and cold treatment</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322419">brace or cast</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156488">acupuncture</a>&nbsp;and/or&nbsp;massage may help alleviate pain symptoms.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>In addition to physical pain, a person with osteoporosis may experience psychological symptoms, such as&nbsp;anxiety and depression. As such, they may also benefit from psychological treatment options, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/guided-imagery">guided imagery</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265802">biofeedback</a>,&nbsp;<strong>talk therapy (a</strong>lso known as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156433">psychotherapy</a>). Instead of resolving pain itself, these approaches target improvements in physical, emotional, social, and occupational functioning.</p>
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<p>Some types of fractures may require surgery to restore bone function and&nbsp;relieve pain. Some surgical options that a surgeon may perform for spinal fractures may&nbsp;<a href="https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/osteoporosis-and-spinal-fractures/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">include</a>&nbsp;<strong>kyphoplasty</strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>vertebroplasty</strong>.&nbsp;</p>
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<p><a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/hip-fracture-recovery">Hip fractures</a>&nbsp;may require surgical intervention, and these may&nbsp;<a href="https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/hip-fractures/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">include</a>&nbsp;<strong>in-situ pinning</strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>hip replacement</strong>.&nbsp;In-situ pinning involves a surgeon placing pins or screws in the site of the fracture to hold the bone in place. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/hip-replacement-2">hip replacement</a>&nbsp;procedure involves&nbsp;<a href="https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/treatment/total-hip-replacement/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">replacing</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;damaged bone with a prosthetic component. This procedure may be necessary where hip pain is affecting everyday activities such as walking or bending.</p>
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<p>In summary, treatment options depend on the type of pain or fracture someone is experiencing. To help a person manage pain, a doctor may consider a combination of pain medication, physical relief, psychological therapy, or surgery.</p>
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<p><strong>Sources:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/osteoporosis-pain">https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/osteoporosis-pain</a>;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Osteoporosis symptoms. (n.d.).&nbsp;<a href="https://theros.org.uk/information-and-support/osteoporosis/symptoms/">https://theros.org.uk/information-and-support/osteoporosis/symptoms/</a>;&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Paolucci, T.,&nbsp;<em>et al</em>. (2016). Management of chronic pain in osteoporosis: Challenges and solutions.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4824363/">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4824363/</a></p>
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