Signs and Symptoms of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis causes bones to weaken and become brittle. The main effect of weakening of bones is bone fractures. These bone fractures can occur from fairly mild falls.

The most commonly fractured bones are the bones in the wrists, hip, pelvis, ribs and spine. These fractures can be debilitating as they can affect mobility and cause ongoing or chronic pain.

Signs and symptoms of fractures caused by osteoporosis are:

• Dowager's hump or a "hump back" (forward bending in the spine)
• loss of height
• chronic back pain

If you suffer from any of these signs and symptoms, or notice someone close to you with these symptoms, seek advice from your doctor. Doctors can perform tests to determine your bone density and to detect osteoporosis.