Osteoporosis And Physical Therapy
Osteoporosis is a disease in which the body makes too little bone and/or loses too much bone. As a result, the bones become brittle and are more susceptible to fractures. Common areas of fractures are in the hips, wrists, or spine. 54 million Americans have osteoporosis and low bone density.
Symptoms of osteoporosis may include:
- Back pain due to fracture or collapsed vertebrae
- Loss of height
- Hunched posture
- Bones that break easily
Risk Factors For Osteoporosis
- Gender: women are 4 times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men
- Age: after age 50, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men will have an osteoporosis fracture
- Race: Caucasian and Asian women are more likely to develop osteoporosis
- Family history: if parents or grandparents suffered a fracture due to fall, an individual has a greater chance
- Body Frame size: petite and thin people have less bone to lose
- Hormones: decreased estrogen and testosterone levels and increased thyroid levels are linked to bone loss
- Diet: diets that are low in calcium and vitamin D. Also, eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia can cause bone deficiency
- Steroids and other meds
- Medical conditions
- Lifestyle-low calcium, eating disorders, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, sedentary lifestyle
How Can Physical Therapy Help?
Your physical therapist will create a customized home exercise program to prevent or manage osteoporosis. The home program will typically be composed of various exercises and aerobic activities to improve balance, posture, and strength, and decrease risk of falls.
