Osteoporosis pain is one of the lesser-known pain conditions in the world of chronic pain. Osteoporosis is fairly well known by most people as a condition of fragile thinning bones that creates the risk of bone brakes in patients who have that condition. Aside from the details surrounding the cause and effects of osteoporosis, there is a pain element of this condition that typically is referred to the central regions of the back and spine. Like we’ve discussed in many other articles, some pain may be caused in one area but felt in another area in the form of a referred pain. This makes it harder to know exactly where the source of pain is coming from and often leaves patients and medical providers frustrated over the elusiveness of referred pain in some cases. Of the many pain conditions patients experienced around the world, there are only a few that affect every demographic. There are risk factors to osteoporosis, both manageable and unmanageable or unchangeable, that could increase the likelihood of osteoporosis. However, just because someone may not experience diagnosis or the pain of osteoporosis, that does not mean it does not affect them in some way. It is a condition that takes time to develop so patients are often unaware of it until they have it. Because of this gradual onset nature, physicians have employed routine screenings for patients at certain thresholds of life or medical conditions to check for osteoporosis.
Dr. Salari et al. in their analytical study of osteoporosis and its prevalence in the world determined that, “[o]steoporosis affects all sections of society, including families with people affected by osteoporosis, government agencies and medical institutes in various fields. For example, it involves the patient and his/her family members, and government agencies in terms of the cost of treatment and medical care. Providing a comprehensive picture of the prevalence of osteoporosis globally is important for health policymakers to make appropriate decisions” (2021). These doctors survey and assess the prevalence and effect of osteoporosis on a society in the hopes that they may more fully treat its negative consequences and attempt to mitigate the outcomes.
For the purposes of this article, we will discuss the ability to relieve pain and restore health for patients with osteoporosis. Neurofunctional Pain Management offers a unique approach to osteoporosis pain in that the priority is to relieve pain and restore health, which may also slow down or even repair osteoporosis damage. There are many health efforts that can be taken to reduce the effects of osteoporosis and even restore bone density. Lifestyle modification in the way of diet and exercise is s a very good place to start, however, if a patient is in pain, it makes it harder to engage in exercise and makes them less motivated to do anything health related other than to find a relief for the pain. As patients learn of their condition and its treatment options, they may find more courage to make the changes they need to mitigate and manage the risk. With knowledge of osteoporosis, effective risk management, and proven treatment patients will be best equipped to tackle their condition head on.
Osteoporosis is a unique condition whose symptoms might be described as hidden or withdrawn. To understand the degenerative nature of the human bones and skeletal structure in general, we must first observe the condition and composition of our bones. All two-hundred-and-six bones in the human body are composed of calcium tissues that are filled with tunnels and networks of holes pockets that allow for bone cells to live and work, blood vessels to supply them, and nerves to connect to the central nervous system.
With the construction of the human bone fully understood, one can begin to understand the degenerative nature of osteoporosis. Dr. Gerald N. Grob explains the etymology of osteoporosis in his book studying the nature of the disease: Aging Bones: A Short History of Osteoporosis. Grob breaks down the word and that it, “. . . derived from the Greek osteon (bone), to which was added poros (little hole). Thus, osteoporosis meant ‘porous bone’” (2014). With a new understanding of osteoporosis, one may question the integrity of the human bone– especially with the knowledge that they are filled with holes. However, it must be understood that while osteoporosis is diagnosed in over three-million people every year, the human bone will retain its strength based on multiple factors categorized by both risk and treatment.
Unfortunately, there are several risk factors associated with osteoporosis from sex to race and hereditary characteristics. Some of these risk factors may be mitigated by a change in lifestyle while others are immutable. Either way, as fixed risk factors such as age increase, the likelihood of diagnosis with osteoporosis increases. Of the several conditions we have covered that require pain treatment, osteoporosis may be considered the least resolvable and is widely believed to be incurable condition, however, it is highly treatable.
It is common that patients who have a slight or small frame, are postmenopausal, and are over the age of sixty have a greater risk of being diagnosed with osteoporosis. Patients can take away from this assessment that women are more likely to be diagnosed with osteoporosis and they would be correct. However, Dr. Rinonapoli and his associates do not discount the possibility of its diagnosis showing up in men: “Osteoporosis is considered a female disease. Actually, the hormonal changes that occur after menopause certainly determine a significant increase in osteoporosis and the risk of fractures in women. However, while there is no doubt that women are more exposed to osteoporosis and fragility fractures, the literature clearly indicates that physicians tend to underestimate the osteoporosis in men” (2021). Men, especially men who experience the conditions of osteoporosis, should not discount the possibility of being diagnosed with the condition because sex is not the only determining risk factor.
It must be understood that patients who would otherwise seem healthy cannot change the immutable risk factors. However, factors that can be changed and reduce the likelihood of diagnosis include diet, exercise, and sometimes a change in medications that might worsen the condition. Since our bones are made up of porous tissues of calcium, the introduction of calcium and vitamin D to a patient’s diet early on is likely to decrease the risk of being diagnosed with osteoporosis. In the same way, making a change to a more active lifestyle will increase bone strength and density, also decreasing the likelihood of osteoporosis.
Regardless of the risk factors associated with osteoporosis, diagnosis is often tricky and commonly missed before bone fractures occur. Patients who do not wish to wait for a fracture to learn of their diagnosis and treatment options may find comfort in learning and recognizing signs of osteoporosis. These early signs might be better recognized by examining family history with osteoporosis, acknowledging prescribed medications that might contribute to loss of bone density, and testing balance or noticing loss of posture. If any of these signs are apparent to you, we would advise seeking a possible diagnosis from a medical professional before a fracture occurs.
One of the less discussed components of osteoporosis is the pain associated with the condition. Like I mentioned previously, the pain physicians I have worked with and discussed this condition with have noted that patients with osteoporosis typically experience pain referred into the back and spine even if the osteoporosis issues are occurring throughout the body. This is because all the pain neurons connect to the central nervous system so perhaps this is why a full body condition is predominantly seeing pain in the back. This actually creates a target area for pain relief so perhaps there is some positive use for this occurrence. Neuragenex has created and pioneered the field of Neurofunctional Pain Management. This new category of pain management attempts to relieve pain through high pulse electrical stimulation while engaging in a health restoration effort to revitalize the tissues and stimulate cellular activity, which may help to lessen the onset of osteoporosis and even possibly help the bone cells and tissues reverse course and build back bone density. There are many factors at play in the effort of rebuilding bone density, but for Neurofunctional Pain Management the priority is to get the patient out of pain and into a state of relief so there is motivation to engage in health restoration efforts.
The combination of high pulse electrical stimulation and specialized hydration therapy offered simultaneously is a proprietary treatment protocol called Neuralgesia, which is exclusive to Neuragenex. In addition to electrical stimulation and hydration therapy, patients undergo an extensive lifestyle counseling education program that helps them understand the range of lifestyle activities that are needed to produce long-term effects on their health, with the emphasis on remaining out of pain. Faced with the prospect of going back into a state of chronic pain, after having already been in that state for a period of time, is a strong motivation to make lifestyle changes that positively impact your overall health like better diet, appropriate physical activity, and good sleep habits. While patients work to mitigate their risk factors and seek relief from osteoporosis pain it become clear that Neurofunctional Pain Management is more than just pain relief, it is a standard of living that relieves pain, restores health, and magnifies quality of life. Neurofunctional Pain Management stands at the forefront of the next generation of pain management and may be considered a future standard of care for osteoporosis treatment.
Combining high pulse electrical stimulation and specialized hydration therapy is a foundational therapy of Neurofunctional Pain Management. This combination works together to produce enhanced pain relief that can endure for several months after a patient completes a course of treatment. As with all courses of treatment from medications to physical therapy, patients are most likely to achieve effective and lasting relief from osteoporosis pain by completing the entire course of therapy and sticking to the prescribes treatment plan. Treatments typically last for one hour, twice a week. With the combination of high pulse electrical stimulation which creates a sustained depolarization effect in pain neurons and stimulates repair of damaged tissues in the area, and hydration therapy consisting of vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional components. Patients typically experience pain relief after only a few visits and often report additional significant improvements in their quality of life in short periods of time, improvements such as feeling more energetic during the day and sleeping better at night.
Neuragenex understands that with a balanced and effective vitamin and mineral treatment to restore general full-body hydration and nutritional deficiency, electrical stimulation that heals damaged nerves, and robust patient education for lifestyle modifications, Neurofunctional Pain Management is really the future of chronic pain management. The mission of Neuragenex is to relieve pain, restore health, and magnify quality of life without drugs, surgery, or invasive procedures, while operating as a non-pharmaceutical, non-surgical, non-invasive, and non-chiropractic pain treatment program. Our vision is to be the first thought, first choice, and first step in the journey of chronic pain relief.
