Osteomalacia is derived from the modern Latin osteo, meaning bone, and the Greek malakos, meaning soft. Therefore it only makes sense that osteomalacia is a deficiency disorder that causes the bones to soften. The bone softening disease was discovered in 1916 by German scientist, Kurt
Huldschinsky. He noticed that patients who had low calcium intakes and lacked sunlight in their lives were the ones with weaker bones. This is when the connection between strong bones, calcium, and vitamin D was made. Osteomalacia is not a transmittable disease; it cannot be passed from one person to another. It is caused by the body lacking calcium and vitamin D.
Osteomalacia occurs when there is a defect in the bone-building process, which can be linked to
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Osteomalacia can typically be characterized by weakness in the muscles and frequent pains in the bones. The bone pains are most commonly occurring in the back, ribs, pelvis, legs, and especially the hips. Many patients also lose muscle definition and their gaits tend to become more waddle-like. Osteomalacia is curable, but not usually right away. It can take months for the pain to disappear. The disorder is typically treated by prescribing higher doses of vitamin D supplements to the patient. It is also recommended to ingest more calcium, most often in the form of milk, and spending more time in the sun. Having a diet filled with vitamin D and calcium is key to preventing osteomalacia. Osteomalacia is present around the world, but happens most commonly where dietary deficiencies are common. This would include poor areas in the world. Osteomalacia is also common in older people. Roughly 1 in every 1,000 people develop the highly treatable disorder.
As afore mentioned, osteomalacia can easily be prevented and treated, only needing adjustments in diet and mineral