One of the region's leading osteoporosis referral centers, the Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment Clinic offers advanced multidisciplinary care for the treatment and prevention of metabolic bone disease. In one convenient visit, patients visiting the clinic meet with a patient educator, a physical therapist, a densitometrist, and a physician specializing in osteoporosis.

You could be suffering from osteoporosis and not even know it. More than 25 million Americans have the condition, which causes thinning of the bones and increases the possibility of a fracture (broken bone). But you can't see osteoporosis or  feel any symptoms, meaning you might not know you have it until a painful fracture occurs.

Osteoporosis can affect men and women of all ages and results from many factors. But the good news is that it's never too late to start treating osteoporosis or too early to start preventing it. That's where the UAB Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment Clinic can help.

As part of a world class medical center, the UAB Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment Clinic provides complete, expert care, from clinical and therapeutic services to helpful education and information programs. Specialists in osteoporosis, nutrition, and physical therapy work together to help you increase your bone density and prevent fractures through medicatiooon, healthy eating, and exercise.

Your visit to the clinic will include:

• state of the art bone density testing by a certified technologist.
• a complete medical examination and assessment by physicians specializing in osteoporosis.
• assessment of your strength, balance, and posture by a physical therapist.
• a free education luncheon with UAB's osteoporo clinic educators.
• a counseling session with a registered dietitian to finalize a treatment plan designed to meet your needs, including follow-up visits to monitor your progress.

Because osteoporosis can affect anyone, the clinic's community service programs are designed to appeal to patients as well as the general public. You are invited to participate in all programs- many of them free to begin preventing and treating osteoporosis today.

• Tone Your Bones Hotline - To speak with a health profesional who can answer questions about everything from calcium supplements to the latest osteoporosis medications, call 1-888-934-BONE. You can also request free educational materials about the disease.


• www.ToneYourBones.org - Log on to the Tone Your Bones education web site for continous updates, news, and information about preventing and treating osteoporosis.


• Free Bone Density Screening - Screenings are offered regulary at The Kirklin Clinic. Call the hotline or check the Web site for details.


• Free Patient Education Lunch - A physical therapist and a registered dietitian discuss how nutrition, exercise, and medications work together to prevent and treat osteoporosis. Lunches are held every Wednesday at The Kirklin Clinic from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and are open to the public. Call 205-801-8187 for a reservation.


• TYBONE (Tone Your Bones Osteoporosis Nutrition and Exercise) Program - Learn how to prevent fractures in the spine and hip by improving your strength, balance, and posture. Taught by a physical therapist and a registered dietitian, TYBONE is offered throughout the year and mets two mornings a week for four weeks. TYBONE "graduates" can then join the weekly Tone Your Bones execise group for continued support. The exercise class includes aerobic, strengthening, balance, and posture exercises to keep members motivated. To learn more, call the hotline or visit the website.


• Clinical Trials - Clinical trials help doctors determine which medications and treatments work best for you. To participate in a research study, call 1-888-534-0367.

• Osteoporosis causes more than 1.3 million fractures annually among both men and women.
• An estimated 50 percent of women over the age of 50 have osteoporosis and are at risk of an osteoporosis related fracture.
• A woman's risk of hip fracture alone is equal to the combined risk of developing breast, uterine, and ovarian cancer. Up to 20 percent of women who suffer hip fractures die within one year of the fracture.
• Osteoporosis can cause fractures in the spine that can lead to height loss, back pain, breathing problems, and a slumped posture
• Risk factors include
  • Age
  • Caucasian or Asian decent
  • Thin or small build
  • Previous fracture
  • Family history of osteoporosis
  • Early menopause
  • Smoking or alcohol abuse
  • Inactive lifestyle
  • Inadequate calcium intake
  • Low estrogen in women
  • Low testosterone in men
  • Use of certain medications such as prednisone