Bone health and osteoporosis

Why is my bone health important?

Our bones grow during childhood and increase their density and strength in adult life. Weight bearing exercise, such as walking or skipping, helps this to happen. Osteoporosis is a thinning and weakening of the bones, which can lead to the bones breaking very easily. People with spina bifida who do not weight bear may be prone to osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is strongly associated with age. People, especially women after the menopause, experience loss of bone density and strength. Reduced weight bearing (wheelchair use), reduced kidney function, and some medication for epilepsy increase the risk for osteoporosis and it‘s thought around 33% of people with spina bifida may develop osteoporosis, higher than the general population. In the general population in the UK, around 2% of 50 year old women and 21% of women over 50 are thought to have osteoporosis, while around 7% of men over 50 are thought to have it.

Bone problems begin at a young age for our members. In our 1000 Voices survey, 52% of people aged 25-30 reported at least one bone or joint problem, rising to 75% in people over 51, and 86% in those over 71. Surprisingly, 9% of our members aged 25-30 said they had osteoarthritis, rising steadily to 59% of those over 71. 

In the survey, 7% of men aged under 50 and 10% of men aged 51 or over,10% of women under 50 and 22% of women aged 51 or over said they had osteoporosis. Our results show the risk of osteoporosis, especially in men and younger women is far higher for people with spina bifida, but that it still may be under-diagnosed in the UK. Bone density screening is usually done for women past the menopause. Our members, men and women, may need extra screening for osteoporosis, throughout their adult lives, and beginning in their twenties. 

Preventing Osteoporosis

Try to prevent osteoporosis by having a good diet including calcium and vitamin D (found in milk, eggs and oily fish) and weight bear everyday if you can do so safely. Ask your GP to consider a bone density check, especially if you are immobile, or a woman who has been through the menopause.