Every movement we make throughout the day would not be possible without our musculoskeletal system. Bones and muscles are the source of our strength and stability. But as we age, the structure of our bones starts to become compromised. Due to diet, hormone changes, lifestyle, activity levels, and medications, our bone health can be affected. If the body makes too little bone or loses too much bone, osteoporosis may develop. The word osteoporosis actually means “porous bones” and it can affect any bone in the body. If our bones become weak there is an increased risk of injury, especially if a person has a fall.
Osteoporosis is a very common disease, in fact 54 million Americans are affected, including men and women (https://www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org). Normal bone is a matrix-like web of living tissue that is very strong to support our weight against gravity. As bone loses density, it becomes porous and that matrix develops wider holes that reduces the integrity of the overall bone. Over time, the bone will continue to weaken and develops a greater potential to break. It can be a painless process creating a silent disease that only becomes known if a person fractures a bone. Bone fractures can cause a whole host of issues that may burden you physically, mentally and financially. Your physician can order a bone mineral density screening test to determine if you are at risk for osteoporosis or osteopenia, which is a loss of bone mineral density not as severe as osteoporosis. Once your risk is assessed, a plan can be made to improve your bone health and reduce the risk of a fracture.
Osteoporosis is not a normal part of aging, but our bone health does change as we age. While we can’t control all the factors that affect our bone health, we can make lifestyle changes to move towards a positive outcome. There are options available to prevent and slow bone deterioration. These can include dietary and pharmacological changes (we recommend you speak with your primary care provider for those options.) Starting a strength-training exercise program can also be effective in positively affecting bone health (McMillan et al., 2017).
Physical therapists are movement specialists and our area of expertise can focus on specific challenges affecting those with osteoporosis. Typically a person with osteoporosis may have weakness, balance issues and postural changes. Physical therapists can develop an individualized exercise plan to improve these areas to prevent falls and injury all while building bone or slowing the deterioration. For new bone tissue to grow, there must be sufficient stress applied to the bone. This occurs with weight-bearing activities and strengthening exercises.
Weight-bearing activities are those on your feet! Such as dancing, walking, running, etc. During strength training, the part of the muscle attached to the bone applies a stress load and helps the bone grow. Not only are you helping to improve your bone health by incorporating strength-training exercise, you work on improving balance, strength, and coordination which can all help prevent a fall.
It’s important to keep our bones as strong as possible as we age and fortunately there are ways to do that. Making the lifestyle change to incorporate exercise and strength training to improve your bone health should not be delayed. Loss of bone naturally begins at age 35! The physical therapists at Tandem Strength and Balance have the education and experience to review your medical history, current physical status, and understand the challenges you are faced with, creating a greater risk of fall or bone fracture. We can then develop a strength-building, exercise plan together to build those muscles and get you moving to keep your bones strong!
References:
- Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation, What is Osteoporosis and What Causes It?
https://www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org/patients/what-is-osteoporosis
- McMillan LB, Zengin A, Ebeling PR, Scott D., Prescribing Physical Activity for the Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis in Older Adults. Healthcare (Basel). 2017 Nov 6;5(4):85.