Cathleen Renkiewicz PT, DPT, GCS
My grandmother was a tall strong farm women who I greatly admired. Yet as she aged, around the time of my grade school years, she began to shrink. By the time college came around she was stooped over and had lost over 8 inches in height – from a tall (for her generation) 5 foot 9 to barely 5 feet tall. Her clothes fit oddly due to the large hump in her back. She had an official diagnosis of osteoporosis.
There are plenty of concerning statistics on the prevalence of bone loss in our population. Here are a few:
One half of women and two in five men will develop osteoporosis in their lifetime.
Osteoporosis is the underlying cause of 2 million fractures every year.
About 9 million Americans over the age of 50 have osteoporosis.
I am one of them.
I have always been an exerciser – a runner, swimmer, hiker, biker, racquetball player and now a pickleball player. However, just as with my grandmother, heredity did play a part in the development of osteoporosis despite an active lifestyle. My own journey included the effect of chemotherapy drugs in my 30s that adversely affected my bone health. Unlike my grandmother, I have access to the knowledge and tools to control and improve my bone health and prevent disabling fractures. I would like to share a few of those with you!
As a start, think of your bones as a savings account. There is only as much bone density in your account as you deposit. We can increase that deposit with the following:
Diet – calcium rich foods, getting enough vitamin D though sunshine and diet, avoiding bone leaching substances such as too much caffeine and alcohol.
Exercise – like your muscles, your bones get stronger if you make them work. This means handling impact, the weight of your body or more resistance.
Weightbearing exercises - Activities that cause you to move against gravity while being upright such as fast walking. For some, weightbearing can be progressed to include controlled hopping and jogging. Talk to your doctor or therapist to determine if these higher-level activities are safe for you as your fracture history and degree of osteoporosis may be a factor.
Resistance exercises – Use of bands, weights, or machines to provide bone stimulating resistance. As a rule, use of free weights is better than machines as they also can work your core and balance but, they must be performed with correct form avoiding spinal flexion and twisting and especially the combination of twisting with flexion!
Balance exercises – Osteoporosis increases your risk of fracture if you fall. A program of balance exercises should be a part of your routine. The added benefit of balance exercises is that they are also weightbearing, so you are killing two birds with one stone! Safety is key with balance exercises; do them in a corner or close to a wall or something you can hold onto if needed.
Specific spine exercises to increase the strength of your spinal extensors, the deep muscles along your spine. Targeting these muscles will help you lift and move safely. There are a variety of exercises in different positions that a Physical Therapist can instruct you how to do depending on your fitness level and specific condition.
Spine Sparing Movement. Most spinal fractures (my grandmother had multiple ones) occur slowly over time as we stress the front of our vertebrae with repetitive bending movements. Micro trauma occurs and the front of the vertebrae crumbles causing the vertebrae to be wedge shaped instead of a nice square building block. Multiple spinal fractures result in a loss of overall height and the dowager’s hump that we often see in some older folks. Here are some simple “spine sparing” techniques to incorporate into your daily movement.
Bend at your hips and knees, not your spine (learn the hip hinge)
Turn with your entire body (move your feet!) and not by twisting your spine.
Look at your sitting posture – are you hunched forward? Bring your shoulders back and maintain a slight arch in your lower back when you sit.
The diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis should not limit your ability to have an active lifestyle and participate in your favorite activities. You are in control and can help this condition. I recommend that anyone with this diagnosis see a Physical Therapist who is Meeks Method or BoneFit certified, here is link to BoneFit’s website which provides additional information: www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org. In a few sessions, you will learn how to take control of your condition and exercise safely and effectively!
Virginian Rehabilitation and Wellness has several BoneFit and/or Meek’s certified therapists on our team. Get started now on improving your bone health. Schedule an appointment with one of our trained specialists today.
About the Author: Cathleen Renkiewicz is a Doctor of Physical Therapy who has her Geriatric Clinical Specialist certification from APTA. She is a Meeks Method Level One and Two certified therapist as well as a Bone Fit certified therapist.