It is said that people with osteoporosis have legs that are easily fatigued. Does that mean that bone loss has some effect on nerves and muscles also? It is also said that people with osteoporosis have poor balance and must walk with care lest they fall. How correct are these inferences?
While people with osteoporosis are encouraged to exercise more, I wonder whether they are also cautioned about these difficulties.
I have osteopenia -- and I do believe I get leg fatigue more frequently than necessary, so that when I go for a moderate walk I have to find a bench to sit upon occasionally along the way.
I also find that towards evening time, when I am going up a slope, one of my feet tends to "unbalance" though very infrequently. It may be because I haven't done any balance exercises--like standing on one leg etc.
Would anyone have any experience with these findings?
Thank you,
Yours,
Priya
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Osteoporosis & Leg Fatigue, Poor Balance
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12 replies
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- By Char42
- Posted April 21, 2009 at 12:19 pm
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Hey nathji, several times a week I do balancing exercises and never had a problem. I am not sure balance is related to osteoporosis, more like other issues such as circulatory (BP). I only get leg fatigue if I overdue some activity and it goes away when I stop.
I try to use all muscle groups during the week, taking turns with the activity to stay in shape. Hmmm in shape would have been 30 years ago.
- By nathji
- Posted April 21, 2009 at 1:22 pm
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Dear Char42,
So nice to hear from you again. Thank you for relieving me of the worry that the fatigue or balancing has anything to do with the osteoporosis. Ever since the jaw bone scare of biophosphonates almost every symptom gets relegated to osteoporosis and the drugs taken for it!
Please keep in touch!
Yours,
Priya
- By MotherGoose
- Posted April 22, 2009 at 6:58 am
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Nathji:
Osteoporosis, per se, does not "cause"muscle weakness. However, several factors are going on at the same time inmany of those who have bone loss.
First, a sedentary lifestyle encourages poor posture and reduced strength and flexibilty. A bent-over posture displaces one's center of gravity and increases the chance of a fall and possible fracture.
Second, Vitamin D deficiency is very common amongst older folks and this can cause muscle weakness along with impaired calcium absorption for healthy bone remodeling.
Third, those with bone loss -- and inactive, to boot -- are often more subject to falls (and increased risk of fractures) so they become more cautious and less active, thereby further limiting their strength, flexibilty and balance. "If you don't use it, you lose it" applies here.
With a carefully guided activity/exercise program, one can safely gain strength, flexibilty, better balance AND then reduce one's risk for falls and fractures. Not just "any" exercises -- some popular ones are contraindicated and can do damage. Please refer to the information NOF has on this site to learn more.
Lucy Buckley PT aka Mother Goose
- By nathji
- Posted April 22, 2009 at 11:14 am
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Dear Lucy Buckley PT aka MotherGoose,
Many thanks for your enlightening reply. It addresses the issue very eloquently. I can see now that it is my sedentary style and possibly lack of Vit D which may be responsible for the leg fatigue.
Doctors in India and labs in general are totally ignorant of blood testing for Vit D, therefore everyone plays it "by ear" and they give sachets of powdered Vit D containing up to 60,000 IU to be taken on a weekly basis to those who are suspected of having a Vita D.
In my case since I rarely go out in the sun, and walk only in the evenings, and remain slouched over my computer, writing books,-- your diagnosis may be very correct. I am going to copy and print out your reply as it is better than any given by a doctor. Thank you so much.
Do you think I should start taking such a large dose of Vit D 60,000 IU, weekly, for a while to see if the leg fatigue goes? Do they have these large doses in the US in sachet form?
Thank again for your very knowledgeable reply. I shall try to find where the exercises are located for osteoporosis in NOF.
Sincerely Yours,
Priya
(nathji)
- By MotherGoose
- Posted April 23, 2009 at 10:57 am
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I cannot really recommend such a large dosage. I am not a physician and have no business "prescribing" what is a prescription dosage of Vitamin D. That said,
your taking in at least 1000 U/day of D3 might be helpful. Too bad you are not able to get your 25hydroxyVitamin D test done there in India. So many people are deficient for many reasons -age impairs our body's ability to process D -- so do sunscreens -- and winter climates. Here in the USA it is recommended that those in the at-risk group get their D tested once a year.
Lucy Buckley PT aka Mother Goose
- By huessysignoret
- Posted April 23, 2009 at 11:51 am
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My doctor did a blood test and found me to be Vitamin D deficient. He prescribed 50,000 U to be taken only once every two weeks. My Vit D level quickly returned to normal. This is NOT a dosage that's available over the counter; it must be acquire by prescription. I asked my pharmacist if I could simply buy enough Vit D off the shelves, and he said no, it must be by prescription. The delivery method is by an oral pill.
- By texastex20002001
- Posted April 23, 2009 at 12:56 pm
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Priya
There is a cd you can order from NOF concerning exercies you can do for Osteo. Walking is a very good exercie accuring to my doctor. Vitamin D is a must so your body can obsorb the calcium. One time my vitamin d was very low I had to take 50,000 for over a month which brought back to normal. Now I only take 1,000. Vitamin 50,000 is a prescription from your doctor now I take the OTC Vitamin D3. Hope this info helps and do stay in touch.
josie
- By nathji
- Posted April 23, 2009 at 2:35 pm
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Dear Texastex20002001
Thank you for your kind reply. I appreciate every word you have written. It is certainly heart-warming to know that someone else has also taken mega doses like 50,000 IU, and in the US. The only time we in India are convinced of the authenticity of a medication is when we see it used in the USA, which is now the medical Mecca of the world. I should very much like to keep in touch. Thank you so much for replying to my query.
Yours,
Priya
- By nathji
- Posted April 23, 2009 at 2:48 pm
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Dear Huessysignoret,
Thank you for your illuminating reply. You will be surprised to learn that Vit D powder aachets with 60,000 IU are routinely sold over the counter in all chemists shops in India!! It is almost as if they were oral rehydration powders. Also doctors routinely prescribe them all over the country--without getting the lab tests for Vit D. I suppose this could be very wrong if the patient goes into hypercalcemia from the Vit D.
It is heartening to note that you took 50,000 IU every two weeks and the Vit D returned to normal. Here they give 60,000 IU once a week--and just stop empirically without blood tests for Vit D!
I shall be more cautious about the Vit D weekly dose and maybe spread it out over two weeks like yourself. Thanks for telling me.
I am sure they must be more accurate in the US than we are here in India where we acquire all our knowledge from the US-- and probably forget a lot more than we learn!
Thank you so much,
Yours,
Priya
- By nathji
- Posted April 23, 2009 at 2:54 pm
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Dear MotherGoose,
Thank you so much for responding again. I must take your words of caution and advice seriously and do a lot of rethinking on taking such a large dose of Vit D without the requisite blood tests.
However from what you describe I would empirically fit the bill for a Vit D deficient person, I am sure!!
By the way I had already taken one weekly dose of 60,000 IU before I got your reply-- so maybe I will be more cautious about the second weekly dose!!
Thank you so much for your help,
Yours,
Priya
- By huessysignoret
- Posted April 23, 2009 at 7:11 pm
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Dear Priya -- if you do a little research through Google, you'll find quite a lot of information about how much Vitamin D it takes to reach toxic levels (a lot!) I didn't keep my research, but I was satisfied that the amount I was taking (50,000 U -- and the bottle does say "U" rather than IU" -- I've been remiss in failing to see if there's a difference) was well within safe limits.
- By nathji
- Posted April 24, 2009 at 10:42 am
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Hi huessysignoret,
Thank you for relieving me of a great worry-- if 50,000 IU didnt do any harm in your case then I dont believe that my 60,000 IU will do any harm in mine either!
Yours,
Priya
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