A stooped posture and an aching back are the common symptoms of osteoporosis that people are aware of. Unknown to many is that osteoporosis does not always exhibit a symptom. This silent disease often goes unnoticed until the patient suffers osteoporotic fractures, which can cause pain, swelling, and bruising.
Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to become porous and weak. It develops when bone mineral density decreases due to various factors like poor nutrition, low physical activity, age, hormonal changes, unhealthy lifestyle choices, and certain medical conditions. With weak bones, a person’s risk of fracture increases that even simple movements like sneezing or lifting a grocery bag can cause a bone to break.
Ballerina and dance sport champion Anna Marie Periquet were 49 when she was diagnosed with osteoporosis. A swollen foot and severe pain in the back, knees, and feet prompted her to seek medical help. After taking a bone mineral density test, her doctors revealed that she already had multiple fractures and bones like those of an 80-year-old woman.
According to Dr. Monica Therese Cabral, Former President of the Osteoporosis Society of the Philippines Foundation, Inc. (OSPFI), an estimated 8.9 million Filipinos have osteoporosis. People gradually start losing bone mass from age 35, but women, especially those who have early menopause or who underwent a hysterectomy, are more likely to have osteoporosis.
The painful reality is that there is no cure for osteoporosis. However, there are ways to lower the risk of fractures and strengthen the bones.
“There are two types of effective medications for osteoporosis — one slows down bone resorption, the other aids in bone growth,” explained Dr. Edgar Eufemio, Medical Director of the Peak Form Sports Recovery Center and Chairman of the Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CMSC) Sports Medicine Institute.
In Anna’s case, Dr. Eufemio recommended a teriparatide injection that works fast in aiding bone growth, although it requires daily injections. Anna administered the bone-regenerating drug to herself for 18 months. She also underwent regular physical therapy and maintained a healthy lifestyle. After ten months, she was well on her way to recovery.
Her recovery journey is a story of hope for every person enduring the pain of weak and broken bones. Certainly, there is life after osteoporosis. Despite having the disease, Anna once again enjoys living her life to the fullest – working in the corporate world, dancing, and performing onstage.
“Living with osteoporosis is possible and I want to show to everyone that this disease is beatable and treatable,” said Anna. Knowing how difficult it is to live with the disease, Anna agreed to be a lay spokesperson of the OSPFI. As she celebrates 50 years of dance this year, she is also embarking on a passion project to raise awareness on osteoporosis and promote bone health through dance and movement healing.
To educate Filipinos on how to prevent osteoporosis, OSPFI continues to implement programs and activities such as annual conventions with international and local speakers, post graduate courses, as well as research grants for scientists and physicians conducting studies on this disease. Outreach programs for barangay and rural health workers, and lay fora for the patients and their relatives are also done in various provinces to increase awareness.
