If you’ve just been diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia, you’re probably feeling overwhelmed and maybe a little scared. I get it. Like many people I know, you are trying to figure out what to do after being diagnosed with osteoporosis.
But here’s what I want you to know: this diagnosis doesn’t define your future. What you do next absolutely matters, and today I’m going to share the five critical steps that can make all the difference in your bone health journey.
What To Do After Being Diagnosed With Osteoporosis
As a Physical Therapist who’s worked with hundreds of women navigating osteoporosis, I’ve seen firsthand how the right approach can transform not just your bone density, but your entire quality of life.
The five steps aren’t just suggestions – they’re your roadmap to taking control of your bone health. Use this five point checklist to keep track of what to do after being diagnosed with osteoporosis.
Get Your DEXA Report With Images
The first thing you need to do – and I mean within the next week – is obtain your complete DEXA report. Not just the T-scores that your doctor might have mentioned, but the entire report including the actual images.
Here’s why this matters: those images tell a story that numbers alone can’t. They show the quality of the DEXA test, areas of particular concern, and can reveal patterns that will guide your entire treatment approach. They can also reveal, to the trained eye, whether your bone density test was properly done and measured. At the 2025 World Conference on Osteoporosis, held in Rome, data was shared that errors occur not just once in a while but in the range of 40 to 90% globally.
Call your doctor’s office or the imaging center and specifically ask for both the complete test. This includes not only a written report but also the images of your hips and spine. You have every right to these – they’re your medical records. Paper reports are fine but many facilities can provide them digitally, which makes it easier to share with other healthcare providers later.
Don’t let anyone tell you that you “don’t need” the images or that they’re “too technical.” You’re building your healthcare team, and every qualified professional you work with will want to see these complete results. If they do not, you should consider working with someone else.
Record Three Months of Your Activity Level
Now on to the second step, I need you to be completely honest with yourself about your activity level over the past three months. And I mean brutally honest – no one else needs to see this but you.
Get a notebook or open a document on your phone and write down:
- How many days per week you exercised
- What types of activities you did
- How long each session lasted
- How intense these activities were
Include everything: your morning walks, that yoga class you attended twice, the gardening you did last weekend, even taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Why three months? Because this gives us a realistic picture of your baseline. Not your best week, not your worst week, but your actual lifestyle pattern.
This isn’t about judgment – it’s about creating a starting point.
If you haven’t fractured doing what you’ve been doing you likely won’t fracture in the coming months, but taking stock of what you’ve been doing provides you with a foundation you can build on. If you’ve been walking 2 miles a day, you can consider gradually increasing the pace you do those steps. Don’t stop moving.
If your exercise program involves exercises to avoid such as twist and forward bends it’s time to find a program that offers more intelligent exercises. Gradually increase the weight you lift, don’t stop lifting.
If you’ve not been committed to exercising, it’s time to prioritize the health of your bones and your body.
Exercise and Osteoporosis
Exercise is an essential ingredient to bone health. If you have osteoporosis, therapeutic exercise needs to be part of your osteoporosis treatment program.
But what exercises should you do and which ones should you avoid? What exercises build bone and which ones reduce your chance of a fracture? Is Yoga good for your bones? Who should you trust when it comes to exercises for osteoporosis?
A great resource on exercise and osteoporosis is my free, seven day email course called Exercise Recommendations for Osteoporosis. After you provide your email address, you will receive seven consecutive online educational videos on bone health — one lesson each day. You can look at the videos at anytime and as often as you like.
I cover important topics related to osteoporosis exercise including:
- Can exercise reverse osteoporosis?
- Stop the stoop — how to avoid kyphosis and rounded shoulders.
- Key components of an osteoporosis exercise program.
- Key principles of bone building.
- Exercises you should avoid if you have osteoporosis.
- Yoga and osteoporosis — should you practice yoga if you have osteoporosis?
- Core strength and osteoporosis — why is core strength important if you have osteoporosis?
Enter your email address and I will start you on this free course. I do not SPAM or share your email address (or any information) with third parties. You can unsubscribe from my mail list at any time.
Record Five Days of Your Nutrition Activity
Your third assignment is to become a food detective for five consecutive days. This means tracking everything you eat and drink, including all supplements.
I need you to calculate your daily intake of:
- Protein
- Calcium
- Vitamin D
- Magnesium
- Vitamin K2
- The number of fruits and vegetables
Use a nutrition tracking app like Cronometer or MyFitnessPal – they’ll do the calculations for you. If you prefer pen and paper, that works too, but you’ll need to look up the nutritional content of your foods.
Why these specific nutrients? They’re the building blocks of bone health.
- Protein provides the framework for bone formation.
- Calcium is the primary mineral in bones.
- Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium.
- Magnesium is essential for bone structure.
- And vitamin K2 directs calcium to your bones instead of your arteries.
Don’t change your eating habits during these five days – we want to see your real patterns, not your “perfect” eating week.
Record Factors That Affect Bone Density and Bone Quality
Quality matters as much as quantity when it comes to bone health. Your fourth step is to record all the other factors that might be negatively affecting your bone quality as well as your bone density.
Make a list that includes:
- Your sleep quality and duration
- Stress levels and what you do to manage your stress
- Any medications you’re taking, a quick search will tell you how they affect your bones
- Smoking
- Alcohol consumption
- Your hormone status, especially if you’re pre or post-menopausal
- Any chronic health conditions
- Symptoms of digestive issues such as decreased appetite, fatigue, abdominal pain and cramping.
- Your balance. This doesn’t impact your bones but poor balance increases your risk of falling which in turn increases your risk of breaking a bone.
The things on this list can help you identify hidden factors that might be working against your bone health, even if you’re doing everything else right.
Start with the things you can most easily change and once you have succeeded you’ll know when you’re ready to take on the next one.
Find Qualified Health Care Professionals
Your final step is perhaps the most challenging: finding qualified healthcare professionals who truly understand osteoporosis in three key areas.
Nutrition
Look for a registered dietitian who specializes in bone health, not just general nutrition. They should understand the complex interactions between nutrients and be able to create a personalized plan based on your food tracking results.
Exercise and Movement
You need someone who understands that not all exercise is created equal for osteoporosis. Weight-bearing and resistance exercises are crucial, but they need to be appropriate for your current bone strength and your fitness level. My website, MelioGuide.com is actually a great place to start!
Hormones and Pharmaceuticals
Whether you’re considering hormone therapy or exploring pharmaceutical options, you need a healthcare provider who stays current with the latest research and can discuss all your options, including timing and combinations.
Don’t settle for providers who brush off your questions or seem rushed. You deserve professionals who will take the time to explain your options and work with you as a partner in your care.
Conclusion: Five Things To Do After Being Diagnosed With Osteoporosis
Here’s what I want you to remember: you are not a passive recipient of this diagnosis. You are about to become your own strongest advocate, and knowledge truly is power.
These five steps aren’t just busy work – they’re the foundation of a comprehensive approach to bone health that can absolutely change your trajectory. I’ve seen women transform their bone density, reduce their fracture risk, and regain confidence in their bodies by following exactly these steps.
Your osteoporosis diagnosis isn’t the end of your story – it’s the beginning of you taking control of your health in ways you never have before.
Take it one step at a time, Remember: you’ve got this, and you’re not alone in this journey.
Margaret Martin
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