Brittle bones - Living with osteoporosis

Getting support

Your GP or nurse may be able to answer any questions you have about living with osteoporosis and can reassure you if you're worried.

You may also find it helpful to talk to a trained counsellor or psychologist, or to someone at a specialist helpline. Your GP surgery will have information about these.

Some people find it helpful to talk to others with osteoporosis, either at a local support group or in an internet chat room.

Osteoporosis support

The National Osteoporosis Society provide a helpline service run by nurses with specialist knowledge of osteoporosis and bone health.

Call 0845 450 0230 or 01767 472 721. You can also email them at nurses@nos.org.uk.

They can provide you with details of local support groups and also have an online discussion forum.

Recovering from a broken bone

Broken bones usually take six to eight weeks to recover. Having osteoporosis doesn't affect how long this takes. Recovery depends on the type of fracture you have. Some fractures heal easily, but others may require more intervention.

If you have a complicated wrist fracture or hip fracture, you may need an operation to make sure the bone is set properly. Hip replacements are often needed after hip fractures, and some people may lose mobility as a result of weakened bones.

Osteoporosis can cause a loss of height as a result of fractures in the spinal column. This means the spine is no longer able to support your body's weight and causes a hunched posture.

This can be painful when it occurs, but it may also lead to long-term (chronic) pain. Your GP or nurse may be able to help with this.

During the healing process, you may need the help of a physiotherapist or occupational therapist so you can make as full a recovery as possible.

Read more about physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

Coping with pain

Everyone experiences pain differently, so what works for you may differ from what works for someone else.

There are a number of different ways of managing pain, including:

medication
heat treatment, such as warm baths or hot packs
cold treatment, such as cold packs
transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) – this is thought to reduce pain by stimulating the nerves
simple relaxation techniques, massage or hypnosis

You can use more than one of these techniques at the same time to manage your pain – for example, you could combine medication, a heat pack and relaxation techniques.

Working and money

You should be able to continue to work if you have osteoporosis. It's very important that you remain physically active and have a fulfilled lifestyle.

This will help keep your bones healthy and stop you focusing too much on your potential health problems. However, if your work involves the risk of falling or breaking a bone, seek advice from your employer, GP and the National Osteoporosis Society about how to limit your risk of having an accident or injury that could lead to a bone break.

If you can't continue working, you may be eligible for disability benefits, such as the Personal Independence Payment (PIP). People over 65 who are severely disabled may qualify for a disability benefit called Attendance Allowance.

Help for carers

You may also be entitled to certain benefits if you care for someone with osteoporosis.