In most cases, osteoporosis develops gradually over years, and a person with osteoporosis may not be aware that he or she has the disease until a fracture occurs. At this stage, the disease has already lead to serious thinning and weakening of the bones. There is no cure for osteoporosis, but treatments are available, and you can also make lifestyle changes that can slow or stop bone loss, and even prevent future fractures.

Common causes of osteoporosis include age-related bone loss, smoking, alcohol abuse, long-term corticosteroid use, and certain diseases. There are two main types of osteoporosis: primary and secondary. The cause of primary osteoporosis can be age-related bone loss, or the cause may be unknown. The term idiopathic osteoporosis is used only for people less than 70 years old; in older people, age-related bone loss is assumed to be the cause. The loss of bone mass that occurs in secondary osteoporosis is caused by certain lifestyle factors, diseases, or medications. The majority of people with the condition have at least one secondary cause.

According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, there are some patterns of syndrome that lead to Osteoporosis:
1. Kidney Essence Deficiency.
2. Spleen Qi Deficiency.
3. Liver Blood Deficiency.