Overview
Bone health and osteoporosis
Most of the time, you are not aware of your bones in everyday life. They support you at work, on your travels and on walks without you having to think about them. Perhaps that has changed because of a fracture, a scan result or a relative’s experience of osteoporosis.
Open individual sections or all the details on this page.
Understanding
A closer look
If you would like to know how strong your bones are and what you can do to keep them healthy, this is a starting point for finding the information you need. You do not need to have a specific diagnosis or be in pain. The first step is to identify the question you would like answered.
You would like to understand your personal risk
Perhaps you have never had a fracture yourself but take a medicine that can affect your bones. Or osteoporosis runs in your family and you are wondering whether to raise the subject. These observations are a good starting point for a conversation with your doctor.
A risk assessment considers factors including previous fractures, medical conditions, medicines and falls. A DXA scan can add to this assessment if it is useful for the question being considered. The “Osteoporosis assessment” page explains more about how this information is brought together.
Further information
You have been diagnosed with osteoporosis
A diagnosis can bring relief because there is now a name for a finding. It can also leave you feeling uncertain: is my body fragile now? Can I still work in the garden? Will I need to take medicines long term?
The “Osteoporosis” page explains what changes in the bone and what this means for exercise and treatment. It is intended to help you organise the questions you want to discuss at your appointment. The diagnosis alone does not establish your individual level of risk or which treatment is right for you.
You have already had a fracture
After a fracture, it is understandable that your first concern is to walk confidently again, get dressed or manage everyday life without help. At the same time, it may be important to explore why the fracture happened. A fracture following only minor strain or impact raises particular questions about bone strength.
In this situation, an osteological assessment complements the treatment and rehabilitation of the fracture. Bring any existing reports and details of how the injury happened. If you still have acute pain or need immediate care for an injury, the priority is an appropriate, timely medical assessment.
You have been advised to have a bone density scan
A DXA bone density scan provides important information for assessing your bones. Our diagnostics page explains what happens during the scan and what the values mean. It also explains why a T-score cannot replace a full risk assessment.
If you have already had a scan, understanding the result may be a more useful next step than repeating it straight away. Complete previous reports are helpful for comparison. You do not have to work out a diagnosis or decide on treatment from the numbers yourself. We provide this medical interpretation for you.
You are looking for osteological care
Our Centre for Osteoporosis and Osteology in Wolgast brings together assessment, treatment and follow-up. Prof. Dr. med. habil. Hans-Christof Schober, Dr. med. Christoph Jährling, Björn Weidemann and Priv. Doz. Dr. med. habil. Richard Kasch provide care in this area. Prof. Schober, Dr. med. Jährling and Mr Weidemann hold the designation Osteologe DVO.
The service includes fracture risk assessment, interpretation of DXA results, osteological laboratory investigations and medicines for osteoporosis. Advice on nutrition, exercise and preventing falls complements treatment. If another practice has already started your osteological care, our specialist service page explains how a possible transfer of care can be coordinated.
What you can do for your bone health
Safe movement, muscle strength and balance support an active everyday life. What is suitable depends on your abilities and circumstances. After a fracture, or if you have other medical conditions, activity levels should be tailored to you.
Nutrition, an adequate supply of important nutrients and preventing falls also play a part. Seek advice before combining several dietary supplements. A useful plan takes account of what you already do and focuses on areas where there is a genuine need.
Which question would you like to explore first?
From here, you can go straight to information on osteoporosis, DXA scans, assessment or our osteology service. If you would prefer to discuss which route is right for you in person, tell the practice what you need help with. A question such as “I have had a fracture and would like to understand my future risk” is enough to get started.
What to expect and next steps
Bone health starts before the next fracture
You cannot reliably judge the strength of a bone from the outside. Even people who are active and feel healthy can have reduced bone density. Whether an assessment is useful depends on your individual risk factors.
There is a practical question at its heart: what would an investigation change about your future care? A medically justified assessment may show that general measures are sufficient, that further investigations are needed or that targeted treatment would be helpful. Not everyone needs the same investigations or the same treatment.
Our shared aim is to identify an increased risk as far in advance of a first fracture as possible. To do this, it may be useful to assess your bone health more fully before you have had any fractures. We discuss what would justify an investigation and what its findings would mean for you.
Our doctors in this specialty
Prof. Dr. med. habil.Hans-Christof Schober
Specialist in internal medicine; subspecialist in endocrinology
DVO-certified osteologist
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Dr. med.Christoph Jährling
Specialist in orthopaedics and trauma surgery
DVO-certified osteologist
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Björn Weidemann
Specialist in orthopaedics and trauma surgery
DVO-certified osteologist
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Priv. Doz. Dr. med. habil.Richard Kasch
Specialist in orthopaedics and trauma surgery
View profileMeet our medical team for bone health here. Together, we discuss the questions that matter for your bones and your everyday life.
Frequently asked questions
Why is this a separate starting point from the body regions?
Bone health concerns the whole skeleton and can be relevant even when you have no pain in a particular area. This separate starting point helps you find the right information directly, whether you have a risk factor, a test result or a diagnosis.
Does a broken bone automatically mean osteoporosis?
No. How the injury happened, the type of fracture and other findings must be taken into account. A fracture following only minor strain or impact can be a reason to investigate bone strength more closely.
I have no symptoms. Do I still need to do anything?
There is no single answer for everyone. A medical assessment may be helpful if you have relevant risk factors. It should establish whether an investigation would make a difference to your care.
Which documents are helpful for an initial assessment?
Previous DXA reports, details of fractures, an up-to-date list of diagnoses and medicines, and relevant medical letters and laboratory results are helpful. For existing X-rays, MRI or CT scans, please bring both the written report and the images where possible, for example via a QR code or on a CD.
Your next step
