T score -3 in spine

[BellaP]

Is a t score of -3 in the spine particularly worrying? I am not taking any medication (my choice) have tried pilates but it hurts my back. So this feels like I am just ignoring this.

[Lulet99]

Hi Bella..I'm looking forward to seeing others replies. My t score is -3.6 for my spine and I'm scared. Have you been offered medication?

[Justme13 in reply to Lulet99]

Hi, I'm also -3.6 and worried. Put meds on hold just now, as want to try exercise and diet, supplements first. But could it get worse while I'm trying this approach if it doesn't work? Interested to read other replies.

[Lulet99 in reply to Justme13]

I've not been offered medication as apparently I'm too young, my consultant said he will save it for WHEN I really need it. This worries me as I'm not sure about that approach, although I'm assuming he knows best!

[trtischia59 in reply to Lulet99]

How old are you? Interested because I'm 50.

[Kaarina in reply to Justme13]

Hi justme,

It is the unknown for all of us if our bones will improve whether we take medication/exercise/Vit D/Calcium tablets/supplements.

I chose to take medication and do all the other things suggested to help ourselves except the calcium/Vit D in tablet form as I have enough calcium in my daily diet. I am prescribed a Vit D capsule though.

Only time will tell. DEXA scans are not offered that often and as I understand it do not always tell the whole story anyway.

[mushwee in reply to Justme13]

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[mushwee in reply to Lulet99]

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[Sandylil]

It may be worth speaking to the specialist Osteoporosis nurses and talk through your concerns. They are so helpful.

All the best.

[Chespoll]

Hi Bella

I've a T score of - 3.0 at neck of femur. I've been advised to take Alendronic acid 70mgs a week, which I've declined.

Everything I've read suggests that -3.0 is not good, but there would seem to be more to bone health than just a T score from a dexa scan. Have you suffered any fractures? Do you know from previous scans the rate of change.

I've quite new to this and have been trying to do 10000 steps a day, not always quickly but its weight bearing which is good for the bones, and eat a plant based whole food type diet. Also Vitamin D and Vit K2 which I believe helps the body make efficient use of calcium.

My GP agrees with me, but my Rheumatologist doesnt!

I've Polymyalgia (PMR) and there are several people on the PMRGCA UK forum with much more knowledge on this, esp HeronNS who has improved her T scores with diet and exercise.

Good luck

Chris

[Kaarina in reply to Chespoll]

Hi Bella,

I agree with Chespoll with this sentence: "Everything I've read suggests that -3.0 is not good, but there would seem to be more to bone health than just a T score from a dexa scan."

Your medical history is very important and if there is/has been OP diagnosed in your family.

You say doing pilates gives you discomfort, is this because of fractures, old or new or something else ie osteoarthritis (OA).

Have you tried tai chi? There are different tai chi programmes and I get on well with the type of tai chi Paul Lam promotes. I enjoy it and that is of course a big bonus.

Are you walking every day? That appears to be a good all round exercise for many conditions including OP.

[mushwee in reply to Kaarina]

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[Met00]

Hello Bella. My spine T-score is -3.2, which I found quite scary to start with, but nearly 3 years down the line I'm less inclined to believe there's necessarily a serious risk of fracture. Of course, I might just be deluding myself, but I do believe the DEXA scan only gives part of the picture. Your risk will depend on other factors too, like whether you've already fractured and whether there's osteoporosis in your family. I took Risedronate on and off for a year, but it didn't suit me, so I then stopped it and have been concentrating on exercise, diet and supplements. I'm working on building up the level of weight-bearing exercise I can do, so far with no ill effect. Like you I've tried Pilates but there are a lot of Pilates exercises we shouldn't be doing (any that involve flexion - ie bending your spine forwards) and my Pilates instructor didn't seem to fully grasp this. I might look for another class sometime, but will check out what the instructor knows about osteoporosis beforehand! As others have said, it's very difficult to tell whether exercise and diet are making a difference because you have to wait so long for another DEXA scan, but then I've also read that bisphosphonates don't necessarily reduce the risk of fracture, and some research suggests in the long run they may increase the risk!

[Kaarina in reply to Met00]

Hi Met

Yo can always do the FRAX test which gives you some idea of your risk of fracture in the next 10 years ......

nhs.uk/Livewell/healthy-bon...

[Met00 in reply to Kaarina]

Thanks Kaarina. The FRAX test recommends treatment with medication, but I'm now very wary of bisphosphonates, so will see what the next DEXA scan shows, when I'm eventually allowed one! If the score has worsened I'll ask about an alternative to bisphosphonates.

[Kaarina in reply to Met00]

Totally agree, Met. I am very wary of bisphosphonates. I tried two of them, AA and risedronate and did not get on with either. I am not at all keen to have any of the injections either as one of the side effects can be joint pain and as I have enough of that every day anyway,(osteoarthritis) I am not prepared to take the risk of getting this side effect. I take strontium ranelate but that is being withdrawn from the end of this month ..........

As it stated in the link I posted above to you, “There is more to fracture risk than just bone density,” says Sarah Leyland of the National Osteoporosis Society.

“There are people who have low bone density who never break a bone and there are people who break a bone with minimal force and yet their bone density isn’t in the osteoporosis range,” says Leyland. “Tools like FRAX take into consideration a range of proven risk factors for breaking bones, meaning a DEXA isn’t always necessary.”

[mushwee in reply to Kaarina]

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[Lulet99 in reply to Met00]

Hi met00. Good plan! I found myself a Pilates class designed for people with health problems... instructor is registered physiotherapist.... she is great! Now I feel much safer. L

[joebooth]

The advice I have received from consultant rheumatologists is that medication has a massively bigger impact than diet and exercise.

[Kaarina in reply to joebooth]

Hi Joe,

I am curious to know what the consultant rheumatologists are basing this advice on. Do they follow through patients who choose not to take medication but go down the exercise, diet and supplement route, to see how they fare?

[joebooth in reply to Kaarina]

Hi Kaarina, you would have to ask the rheumatologists themselves on that one. I would hope that their views are based on sound research. But who knows?

[Mileydog]

Hi, I have a t score of -4.8 in my spine and was blissfully unaware of this until I fell. I think it was a bad fall, I got out of bed one morning, it was semi dark, a plumber was coming early , so I needed to get moving, I think I caught my leg on a chair, next thing I knew I was falling forward towards the wall, I landed heavily on my bottom, and twisted my back sharply the result two vertebrae fractures. So always put on a light and concentrate on what you are doing. If you don't fall you are less likely to break bones and that is the thing we are all afraid of .

[elery]

I was just diagnosed with a t score of -4.3 in my spine. So far no broken bones, but the t-score number was alarming. My mother and maternal grandmother both had osteoporosis. I'm 65. The doctor has recommended Prolia, and the way it was described to me is that estrogen aids in getting the calcium and other nutrients into the bones in a usable way to maintain bone health. After menopause, without the estrogen, you can take calcium supplements but your body is unable to make it useful to the bones like it would have been before. Prolia takes the calcium to the bones like estrogen did. It can halt the bone loss and possibly aid in regaining some bone mass. As with all medications, I know there are possible side effects, but I am weighing the risks on all sides, and am planning to take the Prolia injections (every 6 months), calcium and vitamin D supplements, and increase my weight bearing exercise. And pray that I don't suffer a fall. Otherwise, I am active and able to do anything that I want, including gardening etc. Thanks for listening.

[mushwee in reply to elery]

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[mushwee]

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