Bone Health - Osteoporosis Clinic

The mission of the OSMC’s bone health program is the care and prevention of osteoporosis.

What is Osteoporosis?

More than 54 million Americans have osteoporosis, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. The degenerative condition develops over time, as bones become less dense, taking on a honeycomb-type of appearance. Because of this bone loss, bones become weaker and are more easily broken. Adults over the age of 50 are more likely to have osteoporosis, and women are more likely than men to develop it. Certain medical conditions may also make you more likely to develop osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is particularly troublesome because it usually produces no symptoms – until a bone breaks. However, even that might not be obvious. If you notice a significant loss in height or that your spine is suddenly curving, it could be the result of a fracture due to osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis Care and Prevention in Northern Indiana and South Central Michigan

The orthopedic providers at OSMC believe in the importance of osteoporosis care and prevention. The key to this is regular screenings to measure your bone density. This allows your physician to identify when bone loss is occurring – before you suffer a fracture. We can also recommend certain medications and lifestyle or nutrient changes to slow the rate of bone loss.

OSMC offers bone health evaluation and treatment for osteoporosis, along with education and information. Evaluation includes gathering your history, performing a physical, and, if appropriate, labs, and a bone mineral density scan. The bone density scan is a painless, quick and fully clothed test that tells us more about the minerals, like calcium and other types, in your bone. OSMC most often recommends a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan.

Ask your OSMC physician more about osteoporosis.  While there is no cure, there are steps you can take to slow or stop the progress of osteoporosis and prevent broken bones!

Make sure you’re incorporating bone health as a regular part of your preventive health routine. Call OSMC at (574) 264-0791 to find out more about osteoporosis screening and care. You can also book an appointment right now. We look forward to seeing you at one of our five convenient locations, where we serve patients from northern Indiana and southwest Michigan.