Bone Health Services for Women
Metabolic Bone Disease and Osteoporosis in Women
Osteoporosis is the most common type of metabolic bone disease. About 28 million Americans have osteoporosis—nearly 80 percent of them are women—and about half of all women over 50 will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime. Despite this alarming statistic, there is a lot you can do to prevent osteoporosis.
Because a wide range of health problems can weaken bones, a number of different medical specialties can be involved in the early prevention or detection of osteoporosis in women.
Tests and Scan Services for Evaluating Bone Health
To check your bone health, doctors may perform a bone density test and/or a bone scan to measure how strong your bones are and to diagnose or track types of metabolic bone disease, such as osteoporosis. Learn more about these diagnostics below.
Bone Density Test
To diagnose osteoporosis and to better understand your risk for developing this disease, your primary care physician will order a screening test called bone densitometry. The results of this test will help your physician form a plan to treat or help prevent further bone deterioration. This scan is available at our Baptist Women's Health Center (Memphis), Baptist for Women at Mississippi Baptist Medical Center (MBMC) (Jackson) and Baptist Memorial Hospital- Golden Triangle.
Three-Phase Bone Scan
A bone scan is also known as skeletal scintigraphy. Our radiology technicians will use a small amount of radioactive material and a special camera to produce images of bones to help diagnose the source of pain, such as fractures that are not easily viewed on X-rays and osteomyelitis. Bone scans can help diagnose:
- Broken bones or stress fractures
- Arthritis
- Paget’s disease of the bone
- Cancer
- Infection in your bone or in an artificial joint
- Dead bone tissue
- Fibrous dysplasia
Bone Health Treatment Services
Baptist Memorial Hospital provides a combination of preventive measures and osteoporosis treatment close to home to address the unique needs of individuals at risk for bone health issues. Our doctors deliver custom treatment plans that incorporate nutrition and fitness with medication, where needed, to offer patients positive outcomes for bone health.
Nutrition And Bone Health
Once your primary care physician understands your specific bone health needs, you can both form a plan to either treat or help prevent bone damage through better nutrition, fitness and medications. Your primary care physician will help you design a nutrition plan rich in calcium and vitamin D.
Foods that are good for bone health include:
- Low-fat and non-fat milk, yogurt and cheese
- Canned sardines and salmon
- Dark leafy greens, okra and broccoli
- Tomatoes, papaya and oranges
- Calcium- and vitamin-D fortified breakfast cereals and bread
Fitness And Bone Health
Patients with osteoporosis need exercise—such as walking or swimming—as well as strength-training workouts. If you have limited mobility, you can work with a physical therapist to determine an exercise plan that your body can handle.
Osteoporosis Treatment
Many of the steps for preventing osteoporosis are used to treat the disease as well. Diet, exercise and medications can help prevent further bone loss and reduce the risk of fractures. However, for patients who have lost a lot of bone density, lifestyle changes may not be enough.
Certain medications help slow bone loss and rebuild bone. There are two different kinds of medication your primary care physician may prescribe to slow osteoporosis development:
- Antiresorptive medications slow bone loss and help prevent fractures.
- Anabolic drugs increase the rate of bone formation to make bones stronger and lower the risk of fractures.
If your risk of breaking a bone in the next 10 years isn’t high, medication may not be recommended. Instead, your osteoporosis treatment may focus on modifying risk factors such as falls, a sedentary lifestyle and diet.
Source: National Osteoporosis Foundation
Visit or Contact Us
Baptist Memorial Hospital is committed to women’s bone health and provides quality health care for women of all ages. Looking for personalized care for bone health and osteoporosis treatment in Memphis, TN or Jackson, MS? Contact us by phone or visit us at Baptist Women’s Health Center in Memphis or Baptist for Women at Mississippi Baptist Medical Center (MBMC) in Jackson.