1. < Osteoporosis & Bone Health

Osteoporosis and lower back pain

Posted by kdickerson @kdickerson, Dec 23, 2024

Hi everyone and thank you for taking time to read my post. I am 58 and healthy- retired teacher and now teach 3 days Reading Intervention. Here is my issue- I have severe osteoporosis and, to be honest, I’m scared. My hips are mild to moderate but my spine is in the range 3.2 to 3.4. I love my doctor and trust him completely. His plan is to start Evenity then Prolia. Can someone share experience with pain? My lower back hurts off and on all day but worse in the mornings. Thank you all so much.

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patwerthman | @patwerthman | 4 days ago
In reply to @gravity3 "The most common symptom of osteoporosis... unfortunately...is fracture and that I have heard is extremely painful...." + (show)
@gravity3

The most common symptom of osteoporosis... unfortunately...is fracture and that I have heard is extremely painful. Fortunately I have never had a fracture. I learned I had osteoporosis when my doctor asked me to have a dexa scan.

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Interesting. I don’t think I have any fractures. But I do have back and hip aches

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smayhew7511 | @smayhew7511 | 3 days ago

Prolix made me very ill. I did Forteo for a year but spasms, Charley Horses were in my legs and arms. They are good treatments but all can have side effects. Lost 5 front teeth that were perfect. My dentist suspected bone growth drug. I had previous injury to chin and drug may have concentrated in that area and fibrous growths went into teeth which could have broken teeth. That was sad.

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active1 | @active1 | 2 days ago

I’m 61, newly diagnosed with same scores as you. Typically there is no pain (if you don’t have fractures). I was having some back pain on and off (have had for years now), so since I have osteo, went ahead and had back x-ray. Showed some other misalignment issues, as have shown up before, but no fractures. Chiropractor helped in the past - a lot. May be good to start with an x-ray just so you know the situation. As first line of treatment, I started Evista (Raloxifine) last summer and will re-scan in 1.5 years. Too soon for stronger drugs for me until I re-scan. I’ve changed my diet quite a bit tho, also (was vegan, so significantly lacked both protein AND calcium - I was inexcusably clueless!). Fingers crossed. Best of luck to you. It is a sobering journey, especially since we are still (somewhat!) young!

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timely | @timely | 2 days ago
In reply to @imallears "@kdickerson Hi, I am 83 and have had osteoporosis for many years, I do not take..." + (show)
@imallears

@kdickerson

Hi,
I am 83 and have had osteoporosis for many years, I do not take any drugs…my choice. For me, exercise is the only way to prevent lower back pain. There are specific exercises that will help. Aside from daily walking, I have 3 active senior gym classes daily. We learned how to stretch and how to stretch our hamstrings. I stretch my hamstrings in the morning (using my kitchen table)..each leg a minimum of 40 seconds and also at night…sometimes during the day. We are all too sedentary and sit too much . I find myself doing short spurts of stretching and mini exercise routines throughout the day. If there are no senior gym classes available to you, try to find some online stretching routines and do them religiously. It will make a world of difference in how you feel.

Also, check your diet and try to eliminate any inflammatory foods you may be eating. Adopt this approach of exercise and diet and you will see your mental and physical self improve so much you won’t recognize yourself. Doctors seem to go straight to drugs as a solution. Obviously, in my case , I don’t agree.

Good luck

FL Mary

FL Mary

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@FL Mary

You are doing well with exercise.

Do you have any knee osteoarthritis as that can put a damper on exercise.

Have you always exercised during your life?

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1 reply
ripley | @ripley | 2 days ago
In reply to @pami "I think it probably depends on what is creating your lower back pain. I have been..." + (show)
@pami

I think it probably depends on what is creating your lower back pain. I have been on Evenity for 10 months. The pain I experienced from weak bones is gone. I still have osteoarthritis flare ups in my lower back. Evenity does not get rid of osteoarthritis or sciatica.

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Can you describe the back pain you experienced which you attribute to weak bones? My osteoporosis is most severe in my spine and for several months I've had back pain during certain movements, it feels like nerve pain, mostly at my lower spine. I also have osteoarthritis in my back. Recent x-rays did not find any fractures. I am not on any bone meds right now, but am considering Evenity. Also, have your Evenity treatments gone well? Thanks.

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3 replies
imallears | @imallears | 2 days ago
In reply to @timely "@FL Mary You are doing well with exercise. Do you have any knee osteoarthritis as that..." + (show)
@timely

@FL Mary

You are doing well with exercise.

Do you have any knee osteoarthritis as that can put a damper on exercise.

Have you always exercised during your life?

Jump to this post

@kdickerson

I don't have any aches or pains in my knees or any of my joints. I didn't start really exercising until I retired in 2013 with a sedentary job but have always been on the go. Started walking during the pandemic and that is now an addiction. I feel like a dried out rubber band if I don't do any of these things on a daily basis. So now this is the way I roll and I really feel good and pretty much energetic. Don't want to lose any of that.

FL Mary

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1 reply
active1 | @active1 | 1 day ago
In reply to @imallears "@kdickerson I don't have any aches or pains in my knees or any of my joints...." + (show)
@imallears

@kdickerson

I don't have any aches or pains in my knees or any of my joints. I didn't start really exercising until I retired in 2013 with a sedentary job but have always been on the go. Started walking during the pandemic and that is now an addiction. I feel like a dried out rubber band if I don't do any of these things on a daily basis. So now this is the way I roll and I really feel good and pretty much energetic. Don't want to lose any of that.

FL Mary

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Like a dried out rubber band? Accurate, I’d say!! Same here. I just keep moving.

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sandrac | @sandrac | 1 day ago
In reply to @ripley "Can you describe the back pain you experienced which you attribute to weak bones? My osteoporosis..." + (show)
@ripley

Can you describe the back pain you experienced which you attribute to weak bones? My osteoporosis is most severe in my spine and for several months I've had back pain during certain movements, it feels like nerve pain, mostly at my lower spine. I also have osteoarthritis in my back. Recent x-rays did not find any fractures. I am not on any bone meds right now, but am considering Evenity. Also, have your Evenity treatments gone well? Thanks.

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I have had few issues with Evenity. Just occasional hives that appear to be from that by process of elimination, but my endo is in touch and I can control it quickly with dissolvable Zyrtec added to my daily Allegra. I only have shots #12 left, so I am happy to have made it through the series after some spinal fractures. I will follow if with either Prolia or Reclast, both of which I have had before to maintain the bone growth from Evenity.

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mundy | @mundy | 1 day ago
In reply to @ripley "Can you describe the back pain you experienced which you attribute to weak bones? My osteoporosis..." + (show)
@ripley

Can you describe the back pain you experienced which you attribute to weak bones? My osteoporosis is most severe in my spine and for several months I've had back pain during certain movements, it feels like nerve pain, mostly at my lower spine. I also have osteoarthritis in my back. Recent x-rays did not find any fractures. I am not on any bone meds right now, but am considering Evenity. Also, have your Evenity treatments gone well? Thanks.

Jump to this post

Hi, like you, my weakest area due to osteoporosis is the lumbar. (Actually I have come to understand that the thoracic area is always weaker than whatever the weakest area is on a bone density scan/test. The thoracic area is not scanned because the rib age and sternum interfere with a good reading.) I had no pain or discomfort until I fractured my L3. The pain is severe for me, I am one month into healing. Retrospectively I should have been doing everything possible to prevent this. Having no discomfort before the fracture was misleading.
Be your own best advocate regarding your care plan for osteoporosis.
I am 65 and hopefully have many years ahead of me but I now have to face that they may not be good ones. I had only taken Alendronate and had better than average results; I also improved my diet and exercise but I took it slowly, as though I had all the time I needed.
Now I know better, there was plenty more I could have done. My plan is to start Tymlos but as I just turned 65 and am on Medicare now, I don’t know how this will go yet.
Wishing you the best.

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1 reply
gravity3 | @gravity3 | 1 day ago
In reply to @mundy "Hi, like you, my weakest area due to osteoporosis is the lumbar. (Actually I have come..." + (show)
@mundy

Hi, like you, my weakest area due to osteoporosis is the lumbar. (Actually I have come to understand that the thoracic area is always weaker than whatever the weakest area is on a bone density scan/test. The thoracic area is not scanned because the rib age and sternum interfere with a good reading.) I had no pain or discomfort until I fractured my L3. The pain is severe for me, I am one month into healing. Retrospectively I should have been doing everything possible to prevent this. Having no discomfort before the fracture was misleading.
Be your own best advocate regarding your care plan for osteoporosis.
I am 65 and hopefully have many years ahead of me but I now have to face that they may not be good ones. I had only taken Alendronate and had better than average results; I also improved my diet and exercise but I took it slowly, as though I had all the time I needed.
Now I know better, there was plenty more I could have done. My plan is to start Tymlos but as I just turned 65 and am on Medicare now, I don’t know how this will go yet.
Wishing you the best.

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Hang in there. There are lots of good here and in the same boat. Perhaps our voices can sound the alarm that there needs to be more money for research and training for doctors.

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