Did doctors miss the cause of Steve's ten spinal fractures (one triggered by a sneeze) because he's a man?

Did doctors miss the cause of Steve's ten spinal fractures (one triggered by a sneeze) because he's a man? By Ruth Sunderland Published: 07:00 EDT, 5 May 2024 | Updated: 07:00 EDT, 5 May 2024 e-mail View comments It took suffering ten agonising spinal fractures in one year before NHS doctors finally diagnosed Stephen Robinson with the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis. The father-of-three, 71, says the cause of his increasing pain was discovered only after he experienced yet another fracture in his back – which was triggered by a sneeze. However, the forklift truck driver from Yorkshire was forced to pay £3,500 for a private scan to confirm the diagnosis.

Stephen believes doctors didn’t suspect osteoporosis because most sufferers are women. They instead told him his immobility was due to ageing. He has now written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak , who is also his MP, urging him to ensure all hospitals have specialist clinics, known as fracture liaison services, to spot early signs of osteoporosis.

Stephen Robinson was forced to pay £3,500 for a private scan to confirm his osteoporosis diagnosis The clinics offer assessments for the disease to over 50s who arrive in A&E with a broken bone. They’ll have a DEXA scan – an X-ray that measures bone density – and may then be offered treatments or given advice to improve their bone health through diet, exercise and supplements. But the services are only available in around half of NHS Trusts in England.

The Mail on Sunday .