Osteoporosis: When Should You See a Rheumatologist?

Osteoporosis may be diagnosed and managed by a variety of healthcare providers, including primary care providers, endocrinologists, OB-GYNs, and rheumatologists.

We talked with Daniel Erhardt, MD, a board-certified rheumatologist in Louisville, Colo., about the role rheumatology can play in osteoporosis care and when seeing a rheumatologist may make sense.

Dr. Erhardt’s message is simple: You don’t need to wait until osteoporosis becomes complex to see a rheumatologist. He welcomes patients at any stage of their osteoporosis care.

“For osteoporosis, I am happy to take any consult, no matter how mild or severe the case,” he says.

When Can a Rheumatologist Be Helpful?

There are many times when seeing a rheumatologist for osteoporosis can help. You may consider seeing Dr. Erhardt if you:

• Have a new osteoporosis diagnosis and questions about what it means or what comes next
• Have experienced a low-impact fracture, including a hip, vertebral, wrist, forearm, or other major fragility fracture, even when a DEXA scan shows osteopenia rather than osteoporosis
• Have very low bone density, particularly a T-score approaching -3.0 or below
• Have experienced multiple fractures or have a significant fall risk
• Have continued or worsening bone loss
• Have medical factors that may contribute to bone loss, such as thyroid or parathyroid disorders, autoimmune disease, chronic illness, or malnutrition
• Have questions about secondary causes of osteoporosis
• Want to explore treatment options beyond standard oral therapy
• Have concerns about osteoporosis medications and their potential risks and benefits

Taking a Deeper Look at Your Bone Health

Seeing a rheumatologist can provide an opportunity to take a more detailed look at the factors affecting your bone health.

Dr. Erhardt’s approach may include evaluating secondary causes of bone loss, assessing fracture risk, reviewing treatment options, providing calcium and vitamin D guidance, recommending exercise, monitoring medications and labs, and following up with bone density testing.

He also points out that a DEXA scan is only one part of the picture. A history of certain low-impact fractures, for example, can be important even when your DEXA results indicate osteopenia rather than osteoporosis.

Helping You Understand Your Options

If you’ve been diagnosed with osteoporosis, you may have questions about your bone density results, what they mean, and what treatment options are available.

Dr. Erhardt takes time to review bone density results with his patients and discuss available treatment options, including potential risks and benefits. Treatment decisions can take into account your medical history, fracture risk, preferences, and other considerations.

If you have concerns about osteoporosis medications, a rheumatology visit can also give you time to talk through them and better understand your options.

Shared decision-making is central to Dr. Erhardt’s approach. His goal is to give you the information you need to understand your bone health and participate in decisions about your care.

Osteoporosis Care at BMC-Louisville

Seeing a rheumatologist doesn’t necessarily mean starting over with your osteoporosis care. Dr. Erhardt can provide an additional perspective, further evaluation, or ongoing management depending on your individual needs.

Whether you’ve just been diagnosed, have questions about your bone density or treatment, or have been managing osteoporosis for some time, Dr. Erhardt welcomes patients at any stage.

Let’s Talk

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with osteoporosis, has questions about bone density, or wants to understand treatment options better, Dr. Erhardt is here to help. Schedule an appointment with him to discuss your bone health and the options that may be right for you.