Osteoporosis treatment, Physical Therapy and YOU.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones lose calcium and become “porous”. This makes the bone more susceptible to breakage. Bone begins to break down quickly and does not regenerate at a sufficient pace. If you smoke cigarettes and are over 50 years of age, have a diet low in calcium, or are a woman with early menopause, your risk of osteoporosis increases.  Addressing these risk factors are a major portion of osteoporosis treatment

More Hard Truth /  More Facts..

• About 85-90% of total bone mass is achieved by age 18 in girls and age 20 in boys.
• Think prevention: build strong bones from childhood. Preventive measures for kids can help prevent osteoporosis later in life.
• 80% of patients with osteoporosis are women.  20% are men.
• Osteoporosis can strike at any age. But, the older you are, the greater your risks.Those who are sedentary or on bed rest for a while have higher risks.
• Smoking or drinking alcohol excessively limits calcium absorption, which increases your risk for osteoporosis. Therefore limiting smoking and drinking should be a key component of osteoporosis treatment.
• By 2050, the worldwide incidence of hip fracture in men is projected to increase by 310% and 240% in women.
• In women over 45 years of age, osteoporosis accounts for more days spent in hospital than many other diseases. Including diabetes, myocardial infarction and breast cancer

The case for exercise:

• Weight-bearing: These include anything that requires you to bear weight through your arms or legs such as: walking, dancing, stair climbing, or even doing arm chair push-ups. Most experts recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise 5X a week.  Our Therapists are the experts in developing customized programs which involve both weight bearing and resistance exercises for osteoporosis treatment.
• Resistance (this includes using resistance bands or lifting weights). This has shown to reduce risk of fractures and increase bone mass.

Guidelines for safe exercise:

• Talk to your physician and consult your therapist before beginning any exercise program for osteoporosis treatment. This is especially important if you know you have bone loss or osteoporosis.
• If you already have osteoporosis, be careful of exercises that involve bending and twisting at the waist. These motions can put brittle bones at risk.
• Avoid high-impact exercises (like running and jumping)- they put more stress on your spine, and may even lead to fractures in weakened bones