What is osteopathy, and how is it related to osteopenia and osteoporosis?
Osteopathy means “a disease or suffering of bone.” It is also a distinct and complete system of health care based on the theory that diseases are chiefly due to loss of the body’s structural (muscle and skeletal) integrity. The thought in osteopathy is that a properly functional musculoskeletal system contributes to the total well-being of a person. Those who practice osteopathy are called “osteopaths.” These health care providers are often consulted for relief of skeletal problems. Osteoporosis refers to a disease in which the bones become extremely porous, in other words, they lose mass and density. Therefore, they are subject to fracture and heal slowly. Osteopenia is a similar but less serious condition of bone. Both of these conditions are defined by T-scores, which indicate a measure of bone density compared with the bone density of a young (30-year-old) “normal” person.
