I just found out my spinal t-score is -4.7, so I’m expecting vert. Fractures soon. I understand they will be painful…
how do you manage them? Is laying down the only way to stop pain?
Is sleep possible? What position?
Anything else that could help me understand what’s coming would be appreciated! Fore-warned is fore-armed!
I'd like to reassure you that low t-scores don't make fractures inevitable, as bone density isn't the same as bone strength. I assume your spine t-score is -4.7. Do you have your total hip and neck of femur scores? Has a FRAX fracture risk assessment been done, which takes into account other risk factors alongside bone density? If, for example, your fracture risk is 20% in the next 10 years, that would still be 80 in 100 who wouldn't fracture in that time.
Thanks for the reassurance! It’s very helpful! My femur is only -2.5. I would love to have a 20% risk over 10 years, but it seems I can’t get a good risk assessment of my spine because FRAX has the limitation of only accepting femur BMD, which becomes less useful at estimating spinal risk the more discordant their respective BMDs are 
That's a huge difference between your spine and neck of femur scores! Have you been offered any explanation for this? It's possible an error has been made with one or both scores! Do you have arthritis in your hip (could give a falsely elevated score) or any curvature of the spine (makes an accurate reading unlikely)? My last DEXA gave a hip score of -2.5 and spine -3.6 , but a REMS scan 15 months later made them both -2.6. If you can afford and access REMS, I would definitely recommend it for a second opinion.
what about me then am I doomed, -2.5,4.1Lumbar spine, bmd at femoral neck 0.593, vfa superior end-plate deformity at t12, and now I have just been diagnosed with marked facet arthropathy in the lower lumbar spine, mild to moderate wedge compression fracture of t12 no other fracture demonstrated, can't do weight training with a diagnosis like mine,
I definitely know that doomed feeling. I wonder if there dedicated counsel for people like us. Some help coming to terms with this would be great. Or providing hope. I’m probably going on an anabolic. Is that an option for you?
I have had 1 zoledronic acid infusion last April I believe I have to have it due to my scores, it took a long time to take it with all the horror stories I had been reading, I was in a/e at 4 in the morning peeing blood they kept me in on a drip all night and then sent me home the next morning with antibiotics, it was a urinary trac infection it cleared up, I don't know if the infusion is doing any good, I have been thinking hard about having the next 1 this April,
What happened with infusion? Xx I
It's in earlier post what happened
How did you fair? Did you have other side effects after first infusion? Did you have 2nd infusion?
I had my first reclast infusion on Friday. Spent next two in darkened bedroom with body aches headaches face aches joints hurting spine and hips hurt bad. Third got out of bed sat on couch for mos of the day. Left patella feels absolutely swollen. I do injure it 3 years ago as my knee cap hit a lava rock. Now I feel like I’m back working through it. Wonder if I will get back to my gym routine to use weights we so badly need. All of a sudden I’m feeling very old. Even my blood pressure was gone haywire. At infusion it was 120/72 now it’s 148/88. Interesting
Thanks! I have booked a REMS for next week *fingers crossed
R.E.M.S. was definitely inaccurate. Said I had normal spine, but I’ve already had one compression fracture. I also have two new DXA scans from different clinics which agree with each other but not R.E.M.S. also I was told to get a DXA scan I the first place because my bones are so porous it shows up on regular x-rays. That’s not normal. I’m a 6’2 male. It’s possible R.E.M.S. doesn’t do well with my demo, or some other problem with it
I have 10 spinal fractures...you can live with them. Yes, they are painful, makes childbirth seem like an easy job. The stronger you are, the faster you will heal. Movement is vital. Lying flat is the best position for pain relief. But doing that all the time will hurt your muscles. They take longer to heal than your doctor will tell you! Don't let stress over this cloud your thinking, be positive, keep stress down. Get out and walk, walk a lot, use hiking poles to walk very straight and build some upper body muscle. Lift weights under supervision; use hand weights at home. Get some stretch bands for strengthening and flexing muscles. Eat lots of protein, animal protein is the best, but if plants are your choice, you need to understand that you'll need much more plant protein than the same of animal protein. Nearly double the amount. Protein builds muscles, and is involved in 300+ processes in the body, carbs are not essential to the human body, so fill up on valuable protein first. Sugar inhibits healing, so keep sugars and grains low. Get adequate sleep. Take a good supplement combo, True Osteo is a good one for example. Don't feel you are doomed...lots to learn, be proactive. Look up Dr Doug Lucus, great free info on YouTube and his website has great free classes too. Optimal Bone Health. The book Great Bones by R. Keith McCormick, DC is very good too.
You might not even be aware. I have at least one in my back and at least one in my knees. It depends what other scores are too. I supposedly have -5 in my wrist but -2 in my hips which makes no sense. They’re all my bones. I’m thinking of getting an echo light not the Dexa scan next time. The crack in my knee I’m hardly aware of and same with back. Osteoarthritis is more painful for me. It’s hard to trust the Dexa scan results.
I doubt those scores are accurate. In case they are you can support your bones by getting lots of exercise, eating a wide variety of foods, and avoiding sitting for a long time. Also avoid obvious risks like lifting heavy furniture. You could go to theros.co.uk which is the Royal Osteoporosis Society where you can find out all about it
Hi, I walk every day with my 4 wheel Walker and have been stable since 2020. I also take AA which has helped in being stable. When tired and need to take the weight off my spine. l lie down for a rest then start again. Try and be as active as you can.
If you know you can also start to avoid certain positions and manoeuvres which make fractures more likely. Don’t lift heavy things, don’t round your back or bend from the top. Look at Margaret Martin on YouTube.
Hi there. The Z score is the best one to go by...it compares your score to a healthy person in your own age group. The T score compares to a healthy 30 year old....which is nonsense if like me you are 69. Also who decides what is healthy where bone density is concerned? A heavier large framed person would naturally have heavier bones than a small framed shorter person. It also depends on how we use our body. A right handed regular tennis player is likely to have a much higher bone density in the right arm than the left.
Dexa scans are not accurate. I've had 3 on the same machine. My worse T score on my hip was -4.7 . Last week my score had improved to only just on the borderline of Osteopenia which would be as good as a 30 year old and scoring around zero. According to Dexa my spine has also improved by 0.9 . This is also crazy when I had two more fractures a few weeks ago.
I'm concerned to read that you are "expecting fractures." I remember the awful anxiety and fear I felt when I had my first scan. Please accept the reassurance others have given to you on this forum. That kind of fear is not good for our bones.
May I suggest that you do a bit of research and make a few lists. Consult Google and the many excellent videos on youtube.(choosing well known doctors and health practitioners)
List everything that is good for our bones.....and everything that is not. Then you can choose to start doing more of the good stuff and less of the bad. You may be surprised by some of the harmful stuff eg fizzy drinks. Most contain phosphoric acid. Appletise and carbonated water are the only fizzy drinks I have now. Some of my previous posts give more details.
List the important nutrients you need and the foods which contain them. Find ways of making sure you get enough. For instance I've always hated most vegetables. Now I put them in smoothies and soup. It is not enough just to pop supplements. Good ones help but they are not always absorbed well. It takes a while to do but once you have your lists you can refer back to them if you need to.
Someone else on here mentioned the importance of protein. Start looking on food packaging and aim for at least 100grams a day...more if you are very active. I used to think a 2 ounce egg was 2 ounces of protein. An average egg contains only 6 grams of protein.
Fractures are difficult to generalise. As a result of 2 fractures from fainting, I was unable to sit or lie in a comfortable position for many weeks. It took me over 2 years to be able to sit on a normal height chair.
As a result of a crash on the dancefloor I broke my wrist and lost the use of my fingers for over 3 years. I was lucky to have surgery which has enabled me to cook again and dress in normal clothes because I was unable to manage the fastenings etc.
Just before Christmas I raised my arms in an aerobics class and fractured 2 more vertebrae, probably because I still felt cold. I've learned the hard way the importance of being warm enough to do exercise. Anyway these fractures are extrememely painful, meant I had to cancel my holiday plans and I've not socialised since.....mainly because I'm unable to tolerate wearing a bra (if I was small chested I wouldn't mind)
I've lost a total of 4 inches now of my body length which meant my beautiful clothes no longer fit and cannot be altered. I was already short bodied, now my boobs sit on my hips. So there's just a few things which fractures can lead to. Many people have compression fractures and are not even aware of it. They are not always painful. I watched a webinar last week where one of the osteoporosis experts said he'd had 14 spinal fractures.....which had led him to his current profession. To see him he looks normal. I probably do too, or will when I can wear a bra again. I just don't feel like me, yet I'm aware how lucky I am that things could be a lot worse.
Take good care of yourself, use your scan results as a wake up call and know that even small changes in our habits and lifestyle can make big differences. No more talk of expecting fractures....they may never happen....do what you can to make sure they don't. Di Doh
Thanks for the support! It seems like DXA can be off by a lot sometimes. I’m sorry you’re going through those fractures!
I can't wear a bra either and boobs are down there somewhere. Eating is difficult due to muscle tightness from back to front, so I've lost 30 lbs. so far. Plus less body length. Hungry, but no room for a huge meal. Eat about half. All the best.
Hi BoneWhisperer. Currently have 9 vertebral fractures, maybe 10 but couldn't lie on the hard MRI table. My day to day is walk for 10 minutes with my walker. The pain is mainly from my back muscles pulling and trying to hold my spine erect; then back to the bed for awhile. Laying is pain freedom. I have no problem sleeping. I'm on Prednisone for PMR which is the cause of the osteoporosis. I can still get small meals. Showering makes me quite sore and usually involves a recovery day. I'm on Tylenol 3 for the back pain, which constipates. This is my 7th month as first 2 fractures occurred end of June. The zolendronic acid infusion I had in October will not kicknin for another couple of months. Osteoporosis Specialist says I will be babying my back for 2024. I do what I can, when I can. I do live alone and manage alright. Daughter helps with laundry and groceries. Neighbour helps a lot. Be careful of bending and don't if you can help it. Buy a grabber. Keep moving! Walking and deep breathing. I'm on a second floor flat so don't get out often. Sometimes fractures can occur and you may not feel it. I had two vertebroplasties done end of September. Then the vertebrae on either side fractured. Specialist said no more and tbh I didn't find that much difference. Don't borrow trouble. You may not fracture at all. Everyone is different. Had I known I had fractures at the start (rheumy did not read the ct scan report), I might have been more careful with my back. I didn't find out until I went to ER after 6 weeks of excruciating pain and ER doc found the report. One day at a time. Hugs to you.
hi! Obviously you will be put on medication. That should protect your bones. My first spinal score was -5.5. Since I’ve been on medication I haven’t had any more fractures apart from when I couldn’t have my meds because my vitamin D was too low. I took the vitamin D which was a high dose. I then had my meds. But in the meantime me spine fractured four mour times. I’ve now got to have my blood test a week before the meds.
My main treatment for osteoporosis is the Marodyne vibration platform. It has improved my scores. But it also strengthens the muscles and helps the immune system by draining the lymphatic system. So it also helps my scoliosis. I would never take any drugs for osteoporosis and stopped all calcium pills when I learned they increase the risk of a stroke. I get my calcium in a balanced diet with only a small amount of dairy. Too much dairy is associated with broken bones. My scores are better, not worse.
I sleep flat with neck support using a travel cushion with a snap to cradle my head. Because what happens is any micro fractures heal during sleep so if you don’t want stooped posture you have to be flat while sleeping. I have done this for years and my posture is very good. I sleep deeply for 4 to 6 hours. Micro fractures can occur without pain. That why you see hunchback posture. I used to use pillows to prop up my head so I could breathe at night. I found using nasal saline sprays I could lie flat at night and sleep without a big pillow. Diet is also important to relieving nasal congestion. 🤗
It's interesting what you are saying about sleeping with a travel cushion, but what do you mean with a snap?I would like to begin doing that to correct my posture. Thank you
Any kind of neck support that keeps the back straight would work. I also have other flat pillows. I like the way the travel pillow cushions my head, supports my neck, and keeps my back flat without lifting my head. The snap is at the part supposed to be at the front of the neck for sleeping upright. For sleeping flat, I put that part under my head with the snap at the top of the head to hold it together otherwise the weight of my head would push it away, which can be fine if you don’t want it to cradle and support the head. The fat part would still be under the neck supporting it. I hope this is clear.
Here are pics of my pillows. One cradles the head and supports the neck. The red just supports the neck.
So interesting reading the responses to questions like this. What becomes ckear is that there as many variables as there are bodies.
My personal experience seems to suggest I've gotten off fairly easily, which may be why doctors don't take me very seriously. My age (relatively young at "just turned 63") and activity level may have something to do with it?
I have 4 fractures confirmed at this point, T 6, 7, 8 and L1. I suspect I have had more (I don't think these four could account for three inches in lost height, but what do I know?) but they haven't been seen on x-ray. (Doctor says unless I can't walk or need surgery, no MRI can be ordered and I'm not sure I'm ready to pay for one out of pocket.) My upper back is the bane of my existence right now, but that's because I'm a hairdresser. I think "doing hair" caused two of those, but only because I can't think of any specific "event" that could have done it. Call them "stress fractures". Just a pain that came on over time that's a non-issue if I don't do things that put pressure/strain on the surrounding muscles. T8 came from running, believe it or not. (I was aghast.) It's my most recent so I knew what caused it, but I had no idea I'd fractured while I was running. (I felt "muscles flapping" which actually felt kind of good. Like a massage. It was two days later that I "knew".) This one both hurt the longest but impacted my life the least. (I still feel it five months later in some positions.) L1 was a bugger. That one impacted my ability to lie flat, turn over in bed, etc. I have an adjustable bed, and discovered it was a huge relief to have both head and foot raised, no turning required. You can replicate this with foam wedges, pillows, etc.
My upper back gets most relief in the recliner, as flat as it can go, with my arms over my head. Lying on the floor--straightening it out--can hurt like anything but correcting posture is also essential.
Except for T8, the acute pain phase ended within two weeks. I gauged where I was at by riding my bike outside: if my spine could handle the bumps, I was stable. Conversely, that's how I confirm fractures. Bit of an ache, but not sure? The bumps will tell me.
I of course have been told I'm weak, that if I was stronger, my back wouldn't hurt, that I'm using all the wrong muscles for stabilization. I say, actually, I'm strong, and that's both good and bad. I was able to utilize other muscles (obliques?) for stabilization, which allowed me to keep moving, which allowed more blood flow to the affected areas, which hastened healing. I'm a little wonky now, I guess; my hips are "torqued" but I don't know any better, so...?? I obviously am not doing some things any more--no running, no twisting, yes I lift weights but carefully and with as good a form as I can muster. No classes for me; I'm too competitive, and if they lead moves I shouldn't do, I'll still try it, just to see. Nope, nope, nope. I have been in the pool--currently can't "swim" at least, not on my stomach (I guess I'm not strong enough in water to hold my back straight enough to not feel pain,) but I can walk, do other exercises, and it feels amazing. I ride my ebike in good weather; it's still good exercise, and having the assist available especially when starting after stopping (it is a super heavy bike,) or going up hills takes pressure off my low back (which has had issues of its own, currently indefined. I just know if I tweak my sacrum, it makes fractures look like child's play.)
It all definitely sucks, but I'm showing improvement in my bone density (diet, supplements, exercise, no drugs,) and my pain IS diminishing, so...I'm hopeful. It is still super scary though, I know. Be careful--that will help a lot.
I've had osteoporosis for 12 year now. Take no meds. Spine is -3.6. No fractures I'm aware of, never broke a bone. I don't follow T scores, but I do use the Z score as my reference point. Try not to view this as a death sentence. It isn't! Research and find what you can do to change your lifestyle, eating the right foods (which is easy and basically what we all should eat regardless of osteoporosis ), strength train, walk, exercise, take a class on how to avoid falls, posture is important, etc. But most importantly, stop feeling anxious and instead focus on how you're going to improve your health and lifestyle.
Help with DEXA SCAN results please! 
Parathyroid Hormone Treatment for Osteoporosis 
Ground Golden Linseed and Bone Health.
DEXA SCAN RESULTS. Help needed to understand them please.
dexa scan results -help please!
