Let’s talk about Osteoporosis…
-
Osteoporosis is the loss of bone mass/density which increases your risk of breaking a bone because the bone becomes more fragile.
-
It’s often termed the ‘silent thief’ because people commonly don’t know they have osteoporosis until they fracture/break a bone (like hip, spine, wrist or shoulder).
-
Osteoporotic fractures are more common than heart attack, stroke & Breast Cancer combined!
How common is the diagnosis?
What should we do?
-
Tell your children, grandchildren & great grandchildren to make healthy bone choices now: exercise & healthy eating! By 30yrs old, bones have maxed their size & strength & we start to lose bone. The stronger your bones are early in life makes a huge difference!
-
Know your risk: Use the risk calculator tool called the FRAX
-
Specific types of exercises are critical, like:
-
IMPACT TRAINING: exercises that load your bones to help them get stronger, like stomping or jumping.
-
FUNCTIONAL training: exercises that help you get stronger & more mobile during everyday tasks, like getting up from a chair or on & off the floor.
-
BALANCE training: exercises that challenge your ability to stay upright, both while you’re standing still or moving around.
-
RESISTANCE training: exercises that use weights or resistance bands to challenge key muscle groups to get stronger.
Our PhysioCare at Home team can help!
Find out more about Osteoporosis in the following video & always remember, Health is Wealth!
To Your Health,
Jillian
Physiotherapist & Clinical Director
