Treatment for osteoporosis includes making healthy changes, such as in how you eat and exercise. And you can also take medicine to reduce bone loss and to build bone strength. Medicine can also give you relief from pain caused by broken bones or other changes to your bones. You may also need treatment for compression fractures.

Things you can do include:

• Taking calcium and vitamin D.
• Doing weight-bearing exercise. This may be part of physical therapy.
• Not drinking as much alcohol and not smoking.
• Avoiding falls.
• Taking medicine.

Follow-up

After you've been diagnosed with bone loss, you'll need to have regular follow-up tests to track the disease.

If you've had a fracture, your doctor may suggest that you see a fracture liaison service. In this program, health professionals will work with you to help prevent future fractures.

Treatment for compression fractures

Compression fractures from osteoporosis can cause a lot of back pain. The pain can last for several months. Treatments to relieve your pain include over-the-counter medicines such as acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. And you may take stronger prescription medicine.

If you have a fractured bone related to osteoporosis, treatment to slow your bone thinning is very important. If you've had a spinal fracture, you are at risk of having another.

If spinal compression fractures are causing nerve roots to be compressed, your doctor may talk with you about having surgery to stabilize the crushed spinal bones (vertebrae).