May is Osteoporosis Month. Let’s get a closer look at this widespread condition.

Alice is my nursing home resident who is 73 years old and has limited mobility with a wheelchair and has a rounded upper back. With that posture, Alice’s head and eyes are always towards the floor. She has to make an effort to look at someone when trying to talk to them. Obvious dowager’s hump makes it clear that she has osteoporosis, although it is not noted in Alice’s chart. As a physical therapist, I am surprised, but when I asked Alice, he said she never had a bone density scan. She remembers having upper back pain and wrist fracture in the early 60s but states that her hump back could the result od doing a desk job for years.

One of the major things I would like to address with this article is how things could have easily been different in Alice’s case.

Osteoporosis is a widespread disease. According to NOF, an estimated 54 million Americans have osteoporosis or low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis. Studies suggest that approximately 1 in 2 women and up to 1 in 4 men age 50 and older will break a bone due to osteoporosis; osteoporosis-related bone fractures in women are responsible for more hospitalizations than heart attacks, strokes, and breast cancer combined.

Osteoporosis screening by an MD during a physical is a level 1 intervention in the 50+ age group. Change in height, back pain, long term use of certain medications can also trigger bone density scan in appropriate cases. In Alice’s case, a bone density scan in her late 50s may have helped her with diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis.Along with appropriate medical intervention and diet suggestions, it is absolutely a must to seek exercise intervention. This is crucial in osteoporosis since Flexion exercises and poor movement technique can actually lead to hump back, protruding abdomen, decrease in height and ultimately weak musculature leading to falls/fractures. In Alice’s case, with proper diagnosis and early intervention with therapy, nursing home admission could have been avoided.

If you are already diagnosed with low bone density/ osteopenia/ osteoporosis, please make sure you have a good exercise program. Please learn which exercises are harmful and which movements and postures should be avoided. For example, laying on your back has less loading on the spine than sitting or standing. Exercises in a lying position loads the spine gently and may be a good place to start.

Please email your exercises and movement questions to keepactiverehab@gmail.com, and you will hear back either in a live session or on a personal basis. As an NOF (National Osteoporosis Foundation) ambassador, I am very excited to share exercises and movement knowledge with everyone during Osteoporosis Month.

Sarah (Shraddha) Oza is a licensed physical therapist in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. She may be reached at 978-726-3050.