Understanding Bone Loss

Osteopenia is the first stage of bone loss, where your bones begin to lose density and strength. Think of it as a warning sign that your bones are becoming weaker. While osteopenia doesn’t usually cause pain or immediate problems, it does increase your risk of developing osteoporosis.

Experts estimate that more than 40 million Americans have osteopenia. Many people don’t realize they have osteopenia until it progresses to osteoporosis or they experience a fracture. Without regular bone bone density testing, this early stage of bone loss often goes undiagnosed.

What’s Happening in Your Bones?

• Your body is constantly renewing bone tissue, but as you age, the balance shifts.
• In osteopenia, bone breakdown begins to outpace bone rebuilding.
• The result: your bones become thinner and less dense, though they’re still strong enough to avoid fractures for now.

Osteoporosis develops when bone loss accelerates, and your bones become porous, brittle, and prone to breaking. Often called a “silent disease” because it can progress for years without symptoms until it’s too late. By the time people realize they have osteoporosis, the damage is already significant.

In the United States, an estimated 10 million people age 50 years and older have osteoporosis. Most of these people are women, but about 2 million are men.

What’s Happening in Your Bones Now?

• Bone density has declined so much that your bones resemble a sponge—porous and brittle.
• The structural integrity of your skeleton is compromised, increasing the likelihood of fractures.

The Risks of Silence

• Your bones become so fragile that even a small fall, bump, or sneeze can cause a fracture.
• Common fracture sites, like the hip and spine, can lead to severe mobility issues, chronic pain, and long-term complications.
• Without early detection, you may not know you’re at risk until a fracture changes your life.

Fractures caused by osteoporosis are often the first outward sign of the disease. For many, it’s a hip, spine, or wrist fracture that signals the progression of bone loss.

The Impact of Fractures

• Loss of Independence: Hip fractures, in particular, can require surgery and lengthy rehabilitation, with many people unable to regain full mobility.
• Chronic Pain and Deformity: Spinal fractures can cause long-term discomfort and a hunched posture.
• Life-Threatening Complications: In severe cases, fractures can lead to immobility, blood clots, or infections, increasing the risk of premature death.

For older adults, hip fractures are particularly concerning, as they can require surgery and lengthy recovery.

Osteopenia and osteoporosis develop silently, but their effects can be loud and life-altering. The earlier you detect and address bone loss, the greater your chance of preventing fractures and protecting your quality of life.

At OsteoSmart, we combine cutting-edge technologies with a whole-body holistic approach to understand, address and reverse a patient’s bone loss.

We start by getting a complete and comprehensive assessment of your bone health by using the radiation-free bone density scan, Echolight. More precise and more accurate than the common DEXA scan, this FDA-approved bone density scan assesses bone quality and bone density through a simple ultrasound scan. It also provides a “Fragility Score” – which assesses an individual bone’s structure to predict future fracture risk.