Osteoporosis & SCI

Osteoporosis is a bone disease in which bone mass and strength decline. This leaves bones weak and more prone to breaking. It can affect men and women with a spinal cord injury (SCI) at any age and most people will not know they have osteoporosis until after they break a bone.

Within the first year of their injury, men and women with SCI will loose around 32 % of their bone mass.  The best way to find out if you have osteoporosis is to be aware of your risk factors and to have a bone density test.

Some risk factors for osteoporosis are preventable and can be changed through lifestyle habits while other risk factors cannot be changed.  

Risk factors for Fracture:

Age at injury <16 years
Alcohol intake >5 servings/day
Body Mass Index (BMI) <19
Duration of SCI ≥10 years
Being Female
Having a motor complete injury (AIS score of A or B)
Having paraplegia
Having a prior fragility fracture
Having a family history of fracture
The more risk factors you have, the greater your chances of experiencing a fragility fracture.

Lifestyle Modifications to Consider:

Eat a well-balanced diet with calcium-rich foods
Maintain a healthy body weight
Get sufficient vitamin D3 from food, sunshine and/or a supplement
Participate in weight-bearing or resistance exercise
Stop Smoking
Limit your consumption of alcohol (<2 servings per day) and caffeine (<3 servings per day).
Talk to your doctor about your bone health and treatment options.

To learn more about keeping your bones healthy, Your Bone Health, is a booklet with more tips for maintaining a healthy bone mass and reducing risk of osteoporosis.