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Osteoporosis FAQs: Your Top Questions Answered

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on March 10, 2025.

Official Answer by Drugs.com

Frequently asked questions about osteoporosis:

  1. What is osteoporosis?
  2. What are the symptoms of osteoporosis?
  3. What are the causes of osteoporosis?
  4. What are the risk factors for osteoporosis?
  5. What are the ICD-10 codes for osteoporosis?
  6. What medications are available to treat osteoporosis?
  7. Can osteoporosis be reversed?
  8. How can I prevent osteoporosis?
  9. What's the difference between osteoporosis, osteopenia and osteoarthritis?
  10. Is osteoporosis hereditary?
  11. What is the best diet or foods to help with osteoporosis?
  12. Are there any natural treatments for osteoporosis?
  13. What exercises are good for osteoporosis?
  14. How does resistance training prevent osteoporosis?
  15. What is the connection between the endocrine system and osteoporosis?

1. What is osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a common bone disease that leads to an increased risk of fracture.

Although our bones look solid, only the outside is hard. Inside our bones are two other layers: a soft layer of spongy bone that looks like honeycomb, and an inner core of bone marrow. Throughout our lives, our bones are constantly being broken down and built up again. 

Osteoporosis occurs when too much bone is lost and/or too little is made. This causes bones to become brittle and weak and fracture easily. In more severe osteoporosis, a minor bump or sneeze may be all it takes to break a bone.

2. What are the symptoms of osteoporosis?

Most people with osteoporosis do not know they have the disease until they break a bone which is why osteoporosis is often called a “silent” disease. Fractures usually occur in the spine, wrist, or hip.

Once a bone fractures, it can be very painful and may take a very long time to heal. Many people with osteoporosis never fully recover from a significant fracture, such as one involving the hip, with 50% unable to fully return to independent living.

Symptoms become more noticeable with worsening disease and may include:

3. What are the causes of osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis occurs because of a combination of factors that lower bone density; there is not usually just a single cause.

Bone density is a term that is used to describe how much bone tissue there is in a certain part of your skeleton. An x-ray in people with good bone density shows a dense matrix of bone cells. Compare this to an x-ray of someone with severe osteoporosis that shows mostly air with a few thin strands of bone tissue.

Your bone density usually peaks between the ages of 18 and 25 years. People who have very good bone densities at this age are less likely than people who don’t to get osteoporosis later in life. After this age, bone density starts to decline.

4. What are the risk factors for osteoporosis?

Your risk of osteoporosis depends on:

5. What are the ICD-10 codes for osteoporosis?

The ICD-10-CM (International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, Clinical Modification) is a system that doctors and other health care providers use to uniformly classify all diagnoses, symptoms, and procedures. It is published by the World Health Organization (WHO).

ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes consist of three to seven digits. The codes for osteoporosis can generally be found under Disorders of Bone Density and Structure (M80-M82), with a few exceptions.

6. What medications are available to treat osteoporosis?

There are a number of different medicines used to treat osteoporosis. Some work by decreasing how fast bone is broken down, others increase the rate at which bone is built back up. Some can only be used in postmenopausal women.

Common medicines prescribed for osteoporosis include:

7. Can osteoporosis be reversed?

Yes! Several treatments have been shown to improve bone density which slows or reverses the progression of osteoporosis, reducing the risk of fracture. It is never too late to treat your osteoporosis; however, osteoporosis cannot be cured indefinitely.

8. How can I prevent osteoporosis?

There are a number of things you can do to reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis or slow down its progression.

If you already have osteoporosis, take care to reduce your chances of having a fall around your home.

9. What's the difference between osteoporosis, osteopenia and osteoarthritis?

Osteoporosis is a condition that affects bone density. Bone density is reduced, which makes bones porous and brittle and they break easily.

Osteopenia is when your bone density is less than normal but is not decreased to the extent that your bones will break easily, which is the main characteristic of osteoporosis. Osteopenia is a precursor to osteoporosis. Taking steps to improve your bone mineral density, including dietary measures and increasing weight-bearing exercise, can prevent osteopenia progressing to osteoporosis.

Osteoarthritis is a condition where the cartilage that covers the end of each bone in a joint begins to break down, leaving the ends of the bones unprotected. Cartilage helps bones to glide over each other and cushions them from impact. Initial symptoms of osteoarthritis are usually mild and may include a temporary morning stiffness in a joint lasting less than 30 minutes. Symptoms become more prominent when there is significant cartilage breakdown and include:

Related questions

10. Is osteoporosis hereditary?

Experts estimate that about 75% of the peak bone mass that you will obtain between the ages of 18 and 25 years is influenced by your genes, so, yes, osteoporosis is hereditary.

This means that if somebody in your family has osteoporosis, then you are more likely to develop it too. If this is your situation, then eating a good diet and keeping up with weight-bearing exercises is even more important for you.

11. What is the best diet or foods to help with osteoporosis?

Foods rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, D, and K are not only important for your overall health but for your bone health as well. Vitamin D is also made in our skin when it is exposed to sunlight. Half an hour early morning or late afternoon is considered adequate without putting you at high risk of sunburn.

If you eat a mainly plant-based, healthy diet that contains more than five servings of fruit and vegetables per day (some experts consider nine servings of fruit or vegetables a day the optimum), then your bones will stay happy! Also:

Foods That Contain Bone Healthy Vitamins or Minerals

Bone Healthy Vitamin or Mineral Food Examples
Calcium Low-fat dairy foods (eg, milk, yogurt, cheese), almonds, broccoli, collard greens, figs, kale, okra, tinned whole fish (salmon with bones, sardines), tofu
Magnesium Almonds, artichokes, avocados, beet greens, Brazil nuts, collard greens, mushrooms, okra, plantains, spinach, tomatoes
Potassium Apricots, bananas, dried fruits, mushrooms, oranges, papaya, plantains, prunes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes
Vitamin C Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, capsicums, grapefruit, kiwifruit, oranges, papaya, pineapples, strawberries
Vitamin D Cheese, egg yolks, fortified low-fat dairy foods, and other products, fatty fish (eg, mackerel, salmon, sardines, tuna), mushrooms
Vitamin K Brussel sprouts, chard, dark leafy vegetables (eg, collard greens, kale, spinach), parsley

12. Are there any natural treatments for osteoporosis?

In addition to eating a bone-healthy diet and partaking in at least 30 minutes of weight-bearing physical activity every day, the following natural treatments for osteoporosis may help; however, you should be aware that there is often little scientific evidence to prove that they do in fact truly work.

Always talk to your doctor before taking any of these products, because some may not be suitable if you have certain other medical conditions.

13. What exercises are good for osteoporosis?

The best exercises for osteoporosis are those that you do on your feet so that your bones and muscles are working against gravity to keep you upright. These are called weight-bearing exercises.

Exercises such as swimming and cycling aren’t weight bearing exercises because, when swimming, your body is supported by water; and when cycling, your body is supported by a bike. Even though they may not help strengthen bones, they are good for other reasons, such as improving flexibility and fitness, which is still important for your overall bone health.

Weight-bearing exercises can be grouped into those that are high impact and those that are low impact. High impact exercise usually involves a lot of jumping around and may not be suitable for people who are at high risk of breaking a bone.

The best time to start exercising to protect your bones is now! Encourage your children and grandchildren to be active, because how your bones are later in life depends upon how strong they were when you were young. Always talk with your doctor before starting any new exercise. Some of the exercises listed below are not suitable for all age groups.

High impact exercises to prevent against osteoporosis

Low impact exercise to protect against osteoporosis

For people with significant osteoporosis, a gentler approach may be needed. Some examples of exercises that you can do while seated in a chair are:

14. How does resistance training prevent osteoporosis?

Resistance training, also called strength training, uses free weights, stretchy bands, or your own body weight to build muscle and help strengthen bones.

This type of exercise helps “load” your bones, putting stress on them. Research has shown that this is what is needed to stimulate bone-forming cells (called osteoblasts) into action. Osteoblasts help lay down more bone tissue, which improves your bone density, making your bones stronger.

Resistance training exercise also tends to target the areas of your skeleton that are most likely to fracture, such as your hips, spine, and wrists. It also improves the muscles attached to the bones, as well as your overall coordination and balance.

15. What is the connection between the endocrine system and osteoporosis?

Your endocrine system is a collection of glands that all produce hormones. It is responsible for ensuring good growth and development, regulating your metabolism, maintaining tissue and sexual function, supporting reproduction, and assisting sleep and mood, among other things

Endocrine disorders are the most frequent cause of osteoporosis that is caused by a disease. Common endocrine disorders include diabetes and high thyroid levels (hyperthyroidism). These disorders cause osteoporosis because hormones that are needed to ensure healthy bone growth and development are compromised. A lack of certain hormones accelerates bone loss and increases fracture risk. Once these disorders have been identified and treated, bone density often increases.

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