More Complementary & Integrative Healthcare Articles
The Brittle Bone Disease
If the bone becomes excessively brittle and prone to fracture, the condition may be classified as osteoporosis. This bone thinning disorder is common among postmenopausal women.
Each year in the United States, osteoporosis is blamed for about 1.3 million fractures in people aged 45 and older. The most common sites for these fractures are the spine, wrist or hip. This leads to an interruption of daily function at home, work and with leisure activities while the bone takes time to heal. A wrist fracture usually requires reduction with a plaster cast for 4-10 weeks. A hip fracture may require surgery to reduce the fracture site. Rehabilitation may take several weeks after the healing of the bone.
Are You At Risk?
We could be at risk for osteoporosis based on our genetics, our lifestyle, the medications we have been taking, or on our other medical problems. We can affect our activity level to protect ourselves against osteoporosis.
Seeing a physical therapist for an evaluation will provide a personal assessment of strength, balance, coordination and posture. An exercise program will then be carefully developed that is appropriate for each individual. Effective treatment aims to prevent additional fractures and control pain. Physical therapy emphasizes gentle and progressive exercise and functional activity after a fracture, which is an important part of the treatment to restore mobility.
What Can I Do Now?
Why wait until you get a fracture? It is proactive to start at a young age or before menopause to take care of your bones especially if you are in a high-risk group. The book Exercises for Osteoporosis notes that if you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, you probably have lost about 25-30% of desirable bone density. If you've been diagnosed with osteopenia, the precursor of osteoporosis, bone loss has been roughly 10%- 15%. It states “Exercise can improve your balance, reflexes, and coordination, making it less likely you will fall and injure yourself.”
Research suggests that osteoporosis may be preventable and treatable. A preventive measure is to see that the body has the proper amount of calcium along with vitamin D, which is essential for calcium absorption.
Emphasis on prevention includes a program of regular strength training using ankle weights, dumbbells, exercise machines, rubber tubing, etc. This can stimulate the bones to produce more osteoblasts, cells that fill in bone cavities.
Although osteoporosis cannot be cured, it is recommended that you start on your bone strengthening program developed by your physical therapist and continue it throughout your life. To be most effective, these measures must be undertaken before bone loss begins.
