Low Back Pain and Sciatica – Is Osteoporosis the Cause?

Literally speaking, osteoporosis means ‘porous bones’. People with osteoporosis have brittle bones that can break more easily than someone who does not have osteoporosis. However, this does not mean that you will suffer a fracture, there will be many people walking around with osteoporosis of the spine who will never suffer any type of fracture, and the condition itself has varying degrees of severity. Often, it is only when an individual sustains a fracture that they realize they have osteoporosis, so those who do not sustain a fracture go through life without knowing it.

As we go through life, our body continually replaces/remodels our bones to keep them strong. However, as we age, this remodeling cannot always keep up with the natural thinning of the bones that also occurs naturally. So slowly but surely bone density is not as healthy as we would like it to be and osteoporosis can result.

Regarding low back pain and sciatica and the effect that osteoporosis can have, it is mainly due to the vertebrae of the spine losing height and causing the pain. As the bone density of the vertebra decreases in those with osteoporosis, the vertebra begins to lose height as a result of the weight our own body places across it. When severe enough, relatively small fractures can occur and the vertebra can be quite “crushed” as a result. This is known as a compression fracture.

The consequences of this are twofold:

1) Posture: Due to the way the vertebra is compressed, it causes people with osteoporosis to develop a ‘flexed’ or ‘slouched’ posture. On top of this, once again as a result of compression of the vertebra, significant height can be lost…it’s like you’re shrinking! Even though your posture may be affected quite a bit, you may not necessarily be in any pain at this stage. However, this is no reason to be satisfied and if you recognize any of these possible changes in posture, it is important that you make an appointment to see your doctor.

2) Bread: If you suffer from compression fractures of the vertebra, there is a good chance that this will cause you pain at some point, especially when the fracture is relatively new and your body has not yet been able to heal itself (although it will). If these fractures and their consequences begin to irritate the nerve roots that make up the sciatic nerve in any way, sciatica, that is, leg pain, will occur.

Osteoporosis is something that can be easily treated and the sooner you start treating it, the better. The pain associated with osteoporosis is not something you necessarily have to live with.