Medical Questions » Back Problems Questions » Question No. 125
| Question: | I am 86 and my backbone is twisting out of shape, it is not very painful, but I look like a pretzel. What can I do to stop this? |
| Answer: | Weakening of the ligaments, muscles and bones in your back lead to this disfigurement in many elderly people, particularly women. Osteoporosis, or thinning and weakening of the bones is the main cause.
The strength in bones is due to the calcium they contain. The calcium is obtained from foods, particularly dairy foods. If a person' s diet has lacked calcium for many years, the bones will not be a strong as they should be.
Adding calcium later on in life cannot reverse the damage already present, but may prevent further damage developing.
In women, hormones are vital for the correct calcium balance in the bones. When hormone levels drop at the menopause, the calcium starts to leech out of the bones. As a result, doctors prescribe hormone replacement therapy for most women after the menopause. These hormones are particularly important for women who have an early menopause or a bad family history of osteoporosis.
Medications that slowly add calcium back into bones are available, but must be taken regularly for years, and will not correct any existing deformity.
Once you have developed a ' pretzel back' the only treatment is a brace to support the back, or in rare cases, surgery to strengthen it. Amazingly, grossly deformed backs in many very elderly women give remarkably few symptoms. |
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