Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a weakening of the bones from loss of calcium and minerals. It affects millions of people. The most common complications are fractures of the spine, wrist and hip. Nearly 50,000 Americans die each year from hip fracture complications.

Its impact is most significant in women, affecting one in four over the age of 50. The average woman loses 15 percent of her bone mass within 5 years of menopause. Prolonged bed rest can increase the loss to 40 percent. But it also has a significant impact on American men, as almost two million have osteoporosis, and another three million are at risk. Nearly one-third of elderly men will have hip fractures

There are risk factors you cannot control, such as being female, being of Caucasian or Asian ancestry, going through menopause, having a family history of osteoporosis, being small-boned, having petite frame, taking certain medications and aging abnormally.

But there are many risk factors you can control through diet and exercise. These include not smoking and reducing or eliminating your use of caffeine, salt, and carbonated beverages. You can further improve your health by taking in enough calcium and getting adequate, but not excessive, exercise.

Prevention of osteoporosis begins in adolescence. We build over 40 percent of our bone mass during adolescence and reach our peak bone mass by early adulthood. During this critical time it is important that adolescent girls take in enough calcium. On average, they take in 918 mg per day, while the recommended intake is 1200-1500mg. Getting regular exercise is also particularly important during this period.

If you have osteoporosis, our physical therapists can help you assess your strength, balance, and flexibility and then design an exercise program for you to slow bone loss and maintain bone mass. They will also encourage you to do weight-bearing exercises (playing tennis, running, and strength training) to help build bone even after osteoporosis has begun.

If you think you would benefit from physical therapy, ask your physician for a referral.

For more information about this program, please call the Regions Hospital Physical Therapy Clinic at 651-254-2071 or HealthPartners Specialty Center - Physical Therapy at 651-254-7700.