Local Osteoporosis Support
We are the King’s Lynn and District Osteoporosis Support Group, one of over 130 voluntary groups across the UK that give the National Osteoporosis Society (NOS) a local presence. We meet every fourth Thursday of the month at 7.30 PM in the London Road Methodist Hall, County Court Road, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, UK (map and directions). Everyone is welcome.
We are a local support group. For general information about osteoporosis, please visit the National Osteoporosis Society.
Our Aims
The aims of the King’s Lynn group are to:
- offer support to people with osteoporosis, their families and carers;
- lobby for health improvements locally;
- raise awareness of osteoporosis and bone health among people of all ages;
- fundraise for research into osteoporosis, to increase understanding of the disease and improve treatment options and patient care;
- work with health care professionals to facilitate greater understanding of the needs of people with osteoporosis.
- build a strong group and have fun doing this.
What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis literally means ‘porous bones’
Bone Density
Top image: strong, dense bone. Bottom image: fragile, osteoporotic bone. Click for an enlarged image (500 x 500 pixels). Image courtesy of the IOF.
The bones in our skeleton are made of a thick outer shell and a strong inner mesh filled with collagen (protein), calcium salts and other minerals. The inside looks like a honeycomb, with blood vessels and bone marrow in the spaces between struts of bone (see right, top image). Osteoporosis means some of these struts become thin or break and the bone becomes too porous (see right, bottom image). The bones then become fragile and can break without too much force.
It is now known that 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men over the age of 50 in the UK will develop osteoporosis. It often remains undetected until the time of the first fracture. Without treatment, osteoporosis can cause painful and disabling fractures, particularly of the wrist, hip and spine.
Who is at risk?
We are all potentially at risk of osteoporosis because of the bone loss that occurs naturally as we get older, particularly as we are now living longer as a population.
Women
Women are more at risk of developing osteoporosis than men. They have smaller bones, which are less dense, and they also experience the menopause, which greatly accelerates bone loss for several years. At the menopause (normally around the age of 50) the ovaries produce lower levels of the female hormone oestrogen, which has a protective effect on bones. This decline in oestrogen causes the increase in bone loss. Younger women can also be at risk of osteoporosis if they have low circulating levels of oestrogen. This can happen if they over-exercise or develop an eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa. Both these can upset the normal hormone balance and lead to bone loss.
Men
Men generally have bigger, denser bones than women and do not undergo the rapid bone loss that women experience around the menopause. Osteoporosis in men is often the result of another health problem. Low levels of the male hormone testosterone can lead to osteoporosis, due to a problem with the testes themselves or the pituitary gland, which controls hormone levels. There may be no obvious signs or symptoms of low testosterone levels but some men do find they need to shave less regularly, have a low sex drive and feel excessively tired. In nearly half of all men with osteoporosis the cause is unknown (called idiopathic osteoporosis) and further research is needed to establish why excessive bone loss occurs in these men.
Risk Factors and Warning Signs
Warning Signs
- breaking a bone after a minor bump or fall
- loss of height
Risks for Women
- early menopause (before the age of 45)
- early hysterectomy (before the age of 45), especially if both ovaries are removed
- missing periods for six months or more (excluding pregnancy) as a result of over-exercising or excessive dieting
Risks for Men
- low levels of the male hormone testosterone (known as hypogonadism)
Risks for Women and Men
- long term use of corticosteroid tablets (for conditions such as asthma)
- mother who had a broken hip
- medical conditions which affect the absorption of foods, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, as well as gastric surgery
- medical conditions that leave people immobile for long periods of time
- heavy drinking
- smoking
- low body weight
The National Osteoporosis Society is the only national UK charity dedicated to improving the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of this fragile bone disease.
We are the King’s Lynn & District Osteoporosis Support Group.
