How Physical Therapy Aids in Osteoporosis

Being diagnosed with osteoporosis as well as a bone fracture can be a scary endeavor. You may find yourself afraid to engage in activities that could potentially cause a new fracture or worsen your existing injury. However, following a treatment plan created and supervised by a physical therapist can not only help you get back on your feet, but also help you feel confident about doing so.

What is osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones, occurring when an individual loses too much bone mass or density, fails to create enough bone mass or density, or a combination of both. This results in your bones becoming fragile and susceptible to break from a minor fall, or in more serious cases, from everyday actions like knocking into furniture. The term osteoporosis means “porous bone.” Under a microscope,a healthy bone looks like a honeycomb, while in someone with osteoporosis, the holes and spaces in the bone are much larger, signifying a loss in bone density and mass. As your bones become less dense, they become weaker and more likely to fracture or break.

How can a Physical Therapist help? For many people, they do not know they have osteoporosis until they suffer a fracture from an activity that usually would cause them no difficulty in their younger years. For example, some patients can endure  a spinal fracture in their vertebrae from something as simple as rolling over in their beds. In these cases, a physical therapist can teach their patients how to go about their daily activities while managing the pain of their fracture, and doing resistive exercises to strengthen the surrounded areas and aid recovery.
 
The best way for someone suffering with osteoporosis to prevent fractures and injury is to work with a physical therapist for preventative care. A physical therapist can teach their patients measures to avoid hurting themselves, such as lifting without using your back, move without twisting the spine, fall prevention strategies, and practicing exercises that are safe and keep patients active.

Holiday Mishap Prevention

Make the most out of this holiday season without having to wind up in the emergency room! The holiday season is one of the most injury prone times of the year, so make sure you stay accident free! Here are some frequent holiday injuries, mishaps, and tips to avoid them!

Fires are one of the most common holiday mishaps. Make sure to avoid them by putting out fires in fireplaces after you are done. Fires to Christmas trees are very common as well. The most common instances occur because the Christmas tree lights catch on fire, as well as the Christmas tree being near something heated. To avoid accidents, make sure that when you are not home, you turn all Christmas lights off to avoid potential dangers.

Mistletoe and other holiday plants make for great decoration; however, if they are eaten. they are extremely poisonous. Make sure that when you decorate with them, they are out of the reach of small children and animals!

Lastly, falls are extremely common. Whether it be when you are hanging the holiday wreaths, decorating the Christmas tree, or participating in a snow sport, make sure to take precautions to avoid falling and injuries. Make sure to wear protective footwear, and that if you are doing a snow sport, your equipment fits your properly. If you are hanging something, make sure you are on a level surface, to avoid falling.

If any injury is to occur, be sure to go to a physical therapist and get it checked out. Stay safe and have a great holiday season!

Avoiding a Winter Back Injury

One of the most common causes of back injuries during the winter month is snow shoveling. If you have knowledge of the best ways to remove snow without straining the back, this type of injury is preventable.

Choose the right snow shovel. What helps take some of the effort out of the dreaded snow removal chores is an ergonomic snow shovel. Requiring you to bend your knees only slightly and arch your back very slightly while keeping the shovel blade on the ground is a shovel that will minimize painful bending with a curved handle or an adjustable handle length. To help reduce the amount of weight that you are moving, choose a small lightweight plastic blade.

Thoroughly warm up: Those who are less prone to injury have warmed up flexible muscles as opposed to cold, tight muscles. For about for five to ten minutes before shoveling or any strenuous activity, do your back a favor. With a brisk walk, marching in place, or another full-body activity, get your blood flowing. Next, with some gentle stretching exercises stretch your hamstrings and lower back. Finally, for 30-60 seconds limber up your arms and shoulders.

Rather than lifting it, whenever possible push the snow to one side. When you are shoveling, make sure you are directly facing the object that you plan to lift. Do not bend at the lower back; bend at the hips, and push your chest forward and out. Keep your back straight, bend your knees and lift with your leg muscles. Do not lift an object that is too heavy for you, and keep your loads light. Minimizing the chances of injuring your lower back, keep your hands about 12 inches apart to provide greater stability when gripping the shovel.

Instead of shoveling a large pile at once, shovel small amounts of snow because it is less strenuous. Rather than attempting to shovel the full depth at once, in deep snow, remove a few inches off the top at a time.  Every 10-15 minutes take a break when shoveling. To keep your muscles warm and flexible, use this opportunity to stretch your arms, shoulders, and back.