Physical Therapy and Osteoporosis

By Deborah Holmes, PT

Complete Physical Therapy

. http://www.phystherapy.com/

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Physical Therapy and Osteoporosis

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. Yet, it can develop in younger women as well as in men.

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, osteoporosis affects “as many as 15-20 million individuals in the United States.” 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 or hip fracture may require surgery to reduce the fracture site. Physical therapy 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 based on other medical problems. For example, genetics is thought to account for 70-80% of the risk for developing osteoporosis and a person's lifestyle can contribute to the risk by 20-30%. 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.

What Can You Do Now?

It is proactive to start at a young age to take care of your bones, especially if you are in a high risk group. 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%. 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 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. Furthermore, it may be prevented by proper nutrition.

Although osteoporosis cannot be cured, new medications for it are becoming available. To be most effective, these measures must be undertaken before bone loss begins and must be continued for life.