The Osteoporosis Program at Mount Sinai Morningside
The Osteoporosis Program at Mount Sinai Morningside provides comprehensive services for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a common disease that causes bones in your body to become weak and thin, which can lead to broken bones (fractures). Hip fractures and spine fractures are serious because they can lower your quality of life, decrease your independence, and require surgery to fix.
Many people with osteoporosis do not have symptoms and may not know that treatment would help them. Treatment for osteoporosis is very effective and significantly lowers the risk of fractures.
Women have a higher risk of osteoporosis than men because women go through menopause. After menopause, women have lower levels of estrogen, a hormone that helps protect bone strength.
At Mount Sinai Morningside, our multidisciplinary program features a team of highly skilled and dedicated rheumatologists and endocrinologists who have expertise and a deep commitment to treating osteoporosis. Our goal is to empower you to understand your health and achieve your health goals, so we invest the time to answer your questions with clear and helpful explanations.
In addition to same-day, high-quality bone density scans, our team offers comprehensive evaluations to understand if we can treat and/or cure any causes of your osteoporosis. We also provide counseling services and referrals for physical therapy. Our on-site infusion center makes your osteoporosis treatment simpler, faster, and more convenient. If you and your doctor agree that a more powerful osteoporosis medication is the best treatment, our infusion center will work to provide the medicine to you quickly and easily.
Please call 212-241-1671 to schedule your appointment.
X-ray shows fracture caused by osteoporosis
Diagnosis
Patients are commonly diagnosed with osteoporosis during a routine screening for the disease with a primary care physician. Screening for osteoporosis is usually recommended for women who are 65 years old or older, for men 70 years old or older, and for women between 50 to 64 years old who also have certain risk factors.
We will also test patients for osteoporosis if they have:
- A family history of osteoporosis.
- An autoimmune disorder such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- HIV/AIDS.
- Digestive disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease.
- A hormonal disorder such as an overactive thyroid, low testosterone levels, or a parathyroid disease.
- A history of a fragility fracture (fractures caused by minor physical injuries, such as a fall from standing height).
Your doctor may perform a physical exam to check for any changes in your posture, walk, balance, and muscle strength.
Bone density scans are the most reliable way to accurately diagnosis osteoporosis and estimate your risk of a fracture. Bone density scans will also help track how effective your osteoporosis treatment is.
The four stages of osteoporosis
Treatments
Treatments for osteoporosis are very effective, and our doctors provide a variety of options to improve your bone health.
Our treatment plans include all of the important components below:
- Nutrition: A healthy and balanced diet that is rich in calcium, vitamin D, and protein will help minimize bone loss and maintain good bone health. Leafy greens, milk, yogurt, fish, and broccoli are all good sources of calcium.
- Exercise: Low-impact, weight-bearing exercises will help you build bone strength, as well as muscle mass and strength to lower your risk of falling.
- Healthy Vitamin D Levels: Vitamin D is essential for helping the body absorb and retain calcium for good bone health. Your doctor will determine how much vitamin D is recommended based on your blood levels.
- Medication: You and your doctor will work together to complete a holistic assessment of your health and how severe your osteoporosis is and determine which medication would be recommended for you.