SpineUniverse Unveils Nationwide Osteoporosis Awareness Campaign To Educate Public About Risks...

SpineUniverse Unveils Nationwide Osteoporosis Awareness Campaign To Educate Public About Risks, Prevention & New Breakthroughs

New Campaign Coincides With National Osteoporosis Awareness Month in May

MONTCLAIR, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for an estimated 44 million Americans. In the U.S., 10 million individuals are estimated to already have the disease and almost 34 million more are estimated to have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis.¹

During National Osteoporosis Awareness Month in May, sponsored by the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), www.SpineUniverse.com––an online resource for spine focused health care providers and consumers––is launching a new osteoporosis and fracture education campaign in partnership with Kyphon, a leader in restoring spinal function through minimally invasive therapies. The objective: to increase awareness of the consequences of osteoporosis and encourage people to take action to protect their bone health and prevent osteoporosis however and whenever possible.

“While the public has been well educated on topics such as heart attacks, insight into preventing back injuries and osteoporosis have fallen under the radar,” says Dr. Isador Lieberman of the Cleveland Clinic Spine Institute. “Awareness of the risks of osteoporosis and early detection of low bone mass is essential for this disease, because if not prevented or left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone simply breaks.”

There is an estimated 1.5 million fractures resulting from osteoporosis in the U.S. each year, with a majority of these fractures occurring in the spine. Key elements of the campaign include featuring spine tips on the SpineUniverse.com website, along with posting osteoporosis-focused articles written by the site’s editorial board of leading spine and pain specialists around the country.

Osteoporosis Facts²

What is Osteoporosis?: Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. These broken bones, also known as fractures, occur typically in the hip, spine, and wrist. Fortunately, osteoporosis can be prevented or treated.

Bone Density Testing:

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the only sure way to determine bone density and fracture risk for osteoporosis is to have a bone mass measurement (also called bone mineral density or BMD test). A bone mineral density test compares your bone density to the average density of healthy young adults. A BMD score of -2.5 or below indicates osteoporosis. While women are four times more likely than men to develop the disease, men also suffer from osteoporosis.

Risk Factors:

Risk factors for osteoporosis include: Personal history of fracture as an adult, history of fracture in a first degree relative, advanced age, female sex, dementia, poor health/frailty, current cigarette smoking, low body weight, anorexia nervosa, estrogen deficiency (past menopause, early menopause––before age 45), low testosterone levels in men, use of certain medications such as corticosteroids and anti-convulsants, low calcium intake, excessive alcohol use, recurrent falls, inadequate physical activity.

Prevention Tips:

Calcium plays an important role in maintaining bone. Calcium alone cannot prevent or cure osteoporosis, but it is an important part of an overall prevention or treatment program. Vitamin D3 plays a major role in calcium absorption and bone health. v Exercise is a key factor in preventing osteoporosis. Bone is living tissue that responds to exercise by becoming stronger. Just as a muscle gets stronger and bigger the more you use it, a bone becomes stronger and denser when you place demands on it.

According to SpineUniverse CEO Bill Paquin, “As a leading spine information resource for doctors and consumers, SpineUniverse.com is committed to bringing together all of the latest and most credible information about osteoporosis and making it easily accessible to the public. The goal of our new campaign is not only to assist those currently affected by osteoporosis, but to help prevent others from developing the medical condition in the future.”

About SpineUniverse LLC

SpineUniverse LLC is a newly-formed company resulting from the March, 2007 merger of SpineUniverse.com and BroadWater, Inc. The company’s two divisions include SpineUniverse.com, the leading website devoted exclusively to providing information and treatment options pertaining to spinal disorders and pain management; and BroadWater, a leading medical education provider offering online and offline patient education resources, and managing medical meetings and courses worldwide. For more information, visit www.spineuniverse.com and www.broad-water.com. About Dr. Isador Lieberman Dr. Lieberman is a fellowship trained Orthopaedic and Spinal Surgeon with Cleveland Clinic, specializing in the surgical treatment of spinal disorders. Dr. Lieberman is a paid consultant to Kyphon, he is a paid consultant and owns stock or has stock options in Crosstrees, Merlot OrthopediX, Trans1, Axiomed, Mazor Surgical, and he receives royalties from DePuy Spine and Stryker Spine. For more information, please visit www.clevelandclinic.org and click on “Find a Physician.” ¹ The National Osteoporosis Foundation