Osteoporosis For Dummies

Facts and advice to help people understand and prevent osteoporosis There are an estimated 55 million Americans over the age of 50 who have low bone mass. This easy-to-understand guide helps readers assess their risk and find a practical approach to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of osteoporosis. It covers bone density tests and a wide range of treatment options for osteoporosis-from hormone replacement therapy and acupuncture to calcium-rich foods, supplements, and exercise-and offers pointers on preventing broken hips and other common fractures.

Facts and advice to help people understand and preventosteoporosisThere are an estimated 55 million Americans over the age of 50who have low bone mass. This easy-to-understand guide helps readersassess their risk and find a practical approach to the diagnosistreatment, and prevention of osteoporosis. It covers bone densitytests and a wide range of treatment options for osteoporosis-fromhormone replacement therapy and acupuncture to calcium-rich foodssupplements, and exercise-and offers pointers on preventing brokenhips and other common fractures.

Introduction 1Part I: Understanding Your Bones 7Chapter 1: Boning Up on Osteoporosis 9Chapter 2: Loving the Living Tissue Called Bone 19Chapter 3: Breaking Down the Risk Factors 33Chapter 4: Men and Kids Get Osteoporosis, Too 53Part II: Keeping Your Bones Healthy 69Chapter 5: Eating Right for Good Bones 71Chapter 6: Exercising for Strong Bones 87Part III: Diagnosing and Treating Osteoporosis 105Chapter 7: Facing the Consequences of Bones Gone Bad 107Chapter 8: Finding (and Paying For) a Doctor to Treat Osteoporosis 119Chapter 9: Testing Your Bones 133Chapter 10: Taking Prescription Drugs for Osteoporosis 145Chapter 11: Keeping Bones Strong with Over-the-Counter Supplements 161Chapter 12: Managing Pain from Osteoporosis 177Chapter 13: Recovering from a Fracture When You Have Osteoporosis 193Chapter 14: Focusing on the Future of Osteoporosis 213Part IV: The Part of Tens 225Chapter 15: Ten Surprising Sources of Calcium 227Chapter 16: Ten Things You Need to Know about Bones 231Chapter 17: Ten Resources for Finding Out More about Osteoporosis 237Chapter 18: Top Ten Questions Dr. O'Connor's Patients Ask about Osteoporosis 243Chapter 19: Ten (Or So) Parenting Tips to Build Strong Bones 247Appendix: Reviewing Osteoporosis Programs State by State 251Glossary 263Index 271