Osteoporosis can be quite a painful ailment that results in degeneration of the bones and decreased bone mass. Millions of women and men all over the world experience this painful affliction. In United States alone around 10 million people suffer from osteoporosis with around 50% of them are women. Osteoporosis is basically caused when the bones lose some percentage of the mineral density. Such loss of mineral density can result in fractures. Osteoporosis is commonly seen in elderly people and is a lifelong problem. Menopause osteoporosis is commonly seen in women going through their menopause.

During menopause women lose around 2 to 7 percent of the bone mass. Estrogen is responsible for maintaining the health of the bones and as the estrogen levels drop further bone mass is lost. Estrogen allows for osteoblasts to develop and build the bones while osteoclasts are kept in check. Osteoclasts cause loss of bone mass and as estrogen levels drop bones continue to become brittle.

To determine if a woman is experiencing menopause osteoporosis the doctor performs a bone density scan and this measures the extent of minerals in the bones. The density of bones is measured with a point scale and this is called a T score. The normal bone density reflects a T score of around 0 to 1. If the T score is observed to be between the values of 1 and 2.5 then the person is said to have osteopenia which is a milder version of osteoporosis.

Some symptoms of osteoporosis include brittle fingernails, tooth loss, fractured bones and persistent pain in the neck, lower back and spine areas. Menopause osteoporosis can be treated with calcium supplements as calcium is the mineral that is important for developing healthy bones. Calcium supplements can reduce the possibility of bone fractures. For women going through menopause osteoporosis estrogen replacement can be used as an effective treatment option.

Estrogen therapy can help in creation of further bone mass and research indicates that this therapy can help combat menopause osteoporosis effectively by increasing bone mass by as much as 5% over a two year period. Such estrogen therapy should be continued for at least 5 years to get the complete benefits. Estrogen can be consumed orally or administered transdermally through a patch.

SERMS refers to selective estrogen receptor modulators and this system works by manipulating the estrogen receptors in the body. These receptors are located at different places in the body and SERMS blocks the estrogen in certain receptors and increases the activity at the receptors in the bones. This allows for growth of new bone mass.

For women who cannot take estrogen and the osteoporosis is accompanied with bone fracture taking biophosohonates can be effective. Biophosphonates basically work by reversing the reabsorbing process of the bones. These enter the bones and thereby prevent the osteoclasts from eating the bone minerals.

Menopause osteoporosis and bone fractures can be considerably reduced by taking calcium supplements. In fact taking dietary calcium after the age of 60 is extremely crucial to prevent bone fractures. A balanced diet is just as important to prevent this problem. Food items rich in calcium such as dairy products, cooked green vegetables, fish, dried figs and soy nuts should be consumed. Moderate exercise is also important for women prone to developing menopause osteoporosis. Smoking and drinking should be avoided as it can be bad for the bones.