Osteoporosis is a degenerative disease of the skeletal system that is characterized by deterioration of bone tissue, along with a decrease in bone mass making them fragile and more likely to break. This is a silent disease affecting one in two women and one in four men over the age of fifty in Ireland, although all age groups can be affected. The early stage is osteopenia. Approximately only 15% of people with osteoporosis are diagnosed where as 90% of hip fractures are due to this disease. Research has shown that education in bone health and early stage intervention, especially when the condition is hereditary, will prove beneficial. We have developed this clinic together to provide the most up to date research for our clients. It is estimated that 300,000 people in Ireland have osteoporosis and many receive hospital treatment for fragility fractures every year as a result, with wrist, hip and fractures of the vertebrae the most common type of breaks. However, they can also occur in other bones, such as in the arm, ribs, pelvis, leg or ankle.

There are usually no warning signs an individual has developed osteoporosis and it’s often only diagnosed when a bone is fractured after even minor falls. Loss of bone-building materials can occur as the body ages, and is particularly prevalent among post-menopausal women.