Thedogg
09-04-2004, 04:19 PM
i am 28 and am male, found out i have osteo, waiting to see specialist.
my questions are,
1. when can i expect to start dealing with fractures? my scores were neg1.7 down to neg 3.0 in some areas, adv score was neg 2.5 .
2. i have read its best to stay active and exercise. I am a mason tender. i am constantly bending over for block, brick, mortor, i carry supplies that are very heavy, sometimes weigh more then me and this leaves me with a sloched back position as i carry things. also do alot of twisting and turning all day , as well as walking on unflat, muddy, terrain.
is this type of work going to leave me vunerable to fractures or is the physical work going to help keep me stronger?
3. I deal with back pain all day working, sometimes its not so bad sometimes it hurts real bad. is this from weak bones or totaly not realted to osteoporosis? i have not fractured anyhting yet and the x rays i got from back pain is how i found out i had osteoporosis. my family doctor is not real sure and gave me run around answers since she doesnt specilize in the field she didnt want to tell me much till i see the specialist.
4. i have read that the complications from hip fractures can sometimes be deadly within a year of fracture. is this mainly in the people that are older with osteo or is this a risk for me even at 28?
thanks for your time reading this any advice would be great as i am worried i wont be able to provide for my family becouse of this illness. we just got our first home and duaghter starting 5th grade.
my questions are,
1. when can i expect to start dealing with fractures? my scores were neg1.7 down to neg 3.0 in some areas, adv score was neg 2.5 .
2. i have read its best to stay active and exercise. I am a mason tender. i am constantly bending over for block, brick, mortor, i carry supplies that are very heavy, sometimes weigh more then me and this leaves me with a sloched back position as i carry things. also do alot of twisting and turning all day , as well as walking on unflat, muddy, terrain.
is this type of work going to leave me vunerable to fractures or is the physical work going to help keep me stronger?
3. I deal with back pain all day working, sometimes its not so bad sometimes it hurts real bad. is this from weak bones or totaly not realted to osteoporosis? i have not fractured anyhting yet and the x rays i got from back pain is how i found out i had osteoporosis. my family doctor is not real sure and gave me run around answers since she doesnt specilize in the field she didnt want to tell me much till i see the specialist.
4. i have read that the complications from hip fractures can sometimes be deadly within a year of fracture. is this mainly in the people that are older with osteo or is this a risk for me even at 28?
thanks for your time reading this any advice would be great as i am worried i wont be able to provide for my family becouse of this illness. we just got our first home and duaghter starting 5th grade.
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melissa J
09-16-2004, 04:59 PM
I'm very sorry to hear of your condition. My husband a 36yr old contractor is in the exact same boat. We are waiting for test results and a call from the endocrinologist. I don't really have any info that will be helpful to your questions but wanted to let you know that you are not alone. Good luck.
melissa J
09-16-2004, 05:00 PM
I'm very sorry to hear of your condition. My husband a 36yr old contractor is in the exact same boat. We are waiting for test results and a call from the endocrinologist. I don't really have any info that will be helpful to your questions but wanted to let you know that you are not alone. Good luck.
peregrine
09-17-2004, 07:28 AM
i am 28 and am male, found out i have osteo, waiting to see specialist.
my questions are,
1. when can i expect to start dealing with fractures? my scores were neg1.7 down to neg 3.0 in some areas, adv score was neg 2.5 .
[You may never have them, especially if you start a regime now to maintain bone integrity]
2. i have read its best to stay active and exercise. I am a mason tender. i am constantly bending over for block, brick, mortor, i carry supplies that are very heavy, sometimes weigh more then me and this leaves me with a sloched back position as i carry things. also do alot of twisting and turning all day , as well as walking on unflat, muddy, terrain.
is this type of work going to leave me vunerable to fractures or is the physical work going to help keep me stronger?
[weight bearing exercise helps to strengthen bone but carrying heavy loads with an improper posture may increase your chances of developing severe muscle strain]
3. I deal with back pain all day working, sometimes its not so bad sometimes it hurts real bad. is this from weak bones or totaly not realted to osteoporosis? i have not fractured anyhting yet and the x rays i got from back pain is how i found out i had osteoporosis. my family doctor is not real sure and gave me run around answers since she doesnt specilize in the field she didnt want to tell me much till i see the specialist.
[Pain is not a symptom of Osteoporosis and you say you have no fractures. Likely it is muscular pain you are experiencing]
4. i have read that the complications from hip fractures can sometimes be deadly within a year of fracture. is this mainly in the people that are older with osteo or is this a risk for me even at 28?
[this refers to pneumonia that can develop during the convalescent period from hip replacement surgery. I would think your age a beneficial factor.]
thanks for your time reading this any advice would be great as i am worried i wont be able to provide for my family becouse of this illness. we just got our first home and duaghter starting 5th grade.
[Since you are so young, starting to make changes now might work very well for you. Do you take Calcium/Magnesium supplements? You might check other threads on this board for information that has been posted about supplements for Osteo. I wish you all the best!]
my questions are,
1. when can i expect to start dealing with fractures? my scores were neg1.7 down to neg 3.0 in some areas, adv score was neg 2.5 .
[You may never have them, especially if you start a regime now to maintain bone integrity]
2. i have read its best to stay active and exercise. I am a mason tender. i am constantly bending over for block, brick, mortor, i carry supplies that are very heavy, sometimes weigh more then me and this leaves me with a sloched back position as i carry things. also do alot of twisting and turning all day , as well as walking on unflat, muddy, terrain.
is this type of work going to leave me vunerable to fractures or is the physical work going to help keep me stronger?
[weight bearing exercise helps to strengthen bone but carrying heavy loads with an improper posture may increase your chances of developing severe muscle strain]
3. I deal with back pain all day working, sometimes its not so bad sometimes it hurts real bad. is this from weak bones or totaly not realted to osteoporosis? i have not fractured anyhting yet and the x rays i got from back pain is how i found out i had osteoporosis. my family doctor is not real sure and gave me run around answers since she doesnt specilize in the field she didnt want to tell me much till i see the specialist.
[Pain is not a symptom of Osteoporosis and you say you have no fractures. Likely it is muscular pain you are experiencing]
4. i have read that the complications from hip fractures can sometimes be deadly within a year of fracture. is this mainly in the people that are older with osteo or is this a risk for me even at 28?
[this refers to pneumonia that can develop during the convalescent period from hip replacement surgery. I would think your age a beneficial factor.]
thanks for your time reading this any advice would be great as i am worried i wont be able to provide for my family becouse of this illness. we just got our first home and duaghter starting 5th grade.
[Since you are so young, starting to make changes now might work very well for you. Do you take Calcium/Magnesium supplements? You might check other threads on this board for information that has been posted about supplements for Osteo. I wish you all the best!]
Ishy
10-05-2004, 01:35 PM
I feel for you mate. I know exactly where your coming from just about.
I too have recently been diagnosed with osteoporosis of the spine ( among many things ) im a 27 year old male and it was diagnosed after I had a fall ( quite a simple trip ) and recieved 4 crush fractures to my spine.
Ive seen a specialist once and am not scheduled to see her again for another 3 months. She has put me on a range of vits ( calcium and Vit D etc ) to see if they do anything, and this itself concerns me.
My bones are meant to be at the peak yet they arnt and I would have thought aggressive treatment woudl ahve been needed. However im not the pro ( but am a nurse ).
Any comments are highly appreciated for me also.
There is sooooo little info on osteo* in young males. Whe I went for my original bone denisty scan the lady told me in the 30 years she had worked there, she hadint seen anyone under 35, possibly more concerning a male.
I too have recently been diagnosed with osteoporosis of the spine ( among many things ) im a 27 year old male and it was diagnosed after I had a fall ( quite a simple trip ) and recieved 4 crush fractures to my spine.
Ive seen a specialist once and am not scheduled to see her again for another 3 months. She has put me on a range of vits ( calcium and Vit D etc ) to see if they do anything, and this itself concerns me.
My bones are meant to be at the peak yet they arnt and I would have thought aggressive treatment woudl ahve been needed. However im not the pro ( but am a nurse ).
Any comments are highly appreciated for me also.
There is sooooo little info on osteo* in young males. Whe I went for my original bone denisty scan the lady told me in the 30 years she had worked there, she hadint seen anyone under 35, possibly more concerning a male.
kimb5232
11-17-2004, 02:12 PM
this is coming from a woman. my bmd in spine was -4.3, hip -3.3. i am only 37, just had my second child. have 4 spine compression fractures(some loss of height). every body is different and regadless of what your bmd is, you really don't know what will finally cause a fracture, or if you will even fracture. eat well and take supplements recommende by your doctor. but most importantly, especially for men doing physical work, you need physical therapy instruction. the most important thing is to find someone who specializes in osteoporosis. even if the therapy will require a road trip it is worth it. You should receive instruction on excercise that will strengthen your bones and most importantly on the correct way to do those excercises. also SPINE CARE INSTRUCTION. this will teach the best way to sit stand lie down, get up, bend (yes there are safe ways to do it). this information should be of great help to you. until then try always to keep your back straight (bend with knees etc) and if you need to turn, turn your whole body from your feet, or at yor hips(do not turn from the waist it is very bad for the spine). these things can be learned in just a few visits and will become second nature very quickly. at this point this is probably one of the best things you can do to PREVENT injury. Again make sure the instructor understands OSTEOPOROSIS an uneducated trainer can do more harm than good. recommend reading mayo clinic book on osteoporosis, great info, and exercise recommendations too. good luck, God Bless you
guppygirl
11-28-2004, 04:00 PM
I have a low bone density despite being only 32 (female). There are lots of risk factors, some of which you could have been born with, others are lifestyle factors that you can change. Have a really good look around on the net for further info, and nutrition stuff helps too. Don't be afraid of asking loads of questions when you see your endocr. Heaps of luck, it really isn't the end of the world.
snowmelts
12-08-2004, 05:54 AM
Thedogg, I'm a grandma but my son does Masonary work in the Construction union. So I know you work physically HARD at a labor intensive job that is often dangerous.
The work you do would not nice to anyone's back.
That's a hard cold fact.
Of course, obey the Doctors. I'm glad you are getting your back checked out. Most young men I know ignore thier bones. You've cought the problem in time to prevent it from ruining your health.
An avg of -2.5 is not good news at all, definately not, but it also not the end of the world because there is a future possiblity of controlling it and preventing from getting worse with meds. like Fosamax (which you will hate)
However I am of the opinion that your job and your back are not compatable. The sloched back position carrying anything heavy is one thing you need to avoid if you have osteoporosis. Kind of hard for a Mason to avoid. I think you already know that.
I'm sure the thought is already there, in the back of your mind, that you may need to change professions. Let your mind toss the idea around. For now, just stay open minded. You never know what new opportunities may come your way. Just keeping your eyes open and keeping the future in mind is a starting point to new beginnings.
I wish you luck. You ARE on the right track by checking out your bones and being concerned.
The work you do would not nice to anyone's back.
That's a hard cold fact.
Of course, obey the Doctors. I'm glad you are getting your back checked out. Most young men I know ignore thier bones. You've cought the problem in time to prevent it from ruining your health.
An avg of -2.5 is not good news at all, definately not, but it also not the end of the world because there is a future possiblity of controlling it and preventing from getting worse with meds. like Fosamax (which you will hate)
However I am of the opinion that your job and your back are not compatable. The sloched back position carrying anything heavy is one thing you need to avoid if you have osteoporosis. Kind of hard for a Mason to avoid. I think you already know that.
I'm sure the thought is already there, in the back of your mind, that you may need to change professions. Let your mind toss the idea around. For now, just stay open minded. You never know what new opportunities may come your way. Just keeping your eyes open and keeping the future in mind is a starting point to new beginnings.
I wish you luck. You ARE on the right track by checking out your bones and being concerned.