What exactly is osteoporosis?
“Osteoporosis (OP) is a systemic skeletal disease indicated by very low bone mineral density (BMD), which is generally defined as values 2.5 standard deviations or more below the average BMD for young adults.” (Dressendorfer 2021)
That's a mouthful! Basically, OP means that you have less density in your bones, and to get a clinical diagnosis of course we had to put a cut-off limit as compared to "normal." So the values this definition is referencing are the values that you would get if you had a DEXA screening.
Who does OP affect?
OP mostly affects postmenopausal people with vulvas over the age of 50. And it affects 54 MILLION adults in the US over the age of 50, and in the E.U. it affects 22 million people with vulvas and 5.5 million people with penises! And, the WHO has identified OP as one of the 10 most important conditions affecting the entire human race.
Plus, "OP is a 'silent' risk factor for fragility fractures (i.e., fracture with minimal trauma). Fractures of the hip, spine, or wrist are common in persons with OP, especially postmenopausal women and adults older than 65." (Dressendorfer 2021).
That’s so many people! So who is at greater risk for OP?
There are many risk factors that can lead to the development of OP. Dressendorfer 2021 had a great summary, found below:
Premenopausal osteopenia (T-score for BMD of –1.0 to –2.5)
Sex: Females > males
Race: Whites and Asians are at higher risk
Older age (≥65 years-old)
Small frame, very low BMI
Loss of body height (more than 1.5 inches or 3.81cm)
Previous fracture: Having one fracture doubles the risk of having another
Genetics
Activity level: Insufficient weight-bearing (WB) exercise and excessive exercise training without adequate nutrition
Medications associated with bone loss
Premature menopause (before age 45 years) increases risk
Poor dietary habits associated with increased risk
Medical conditions that promote bone loss
Modifiable lifestyle factors that increase risk, like tobacco use, 3 or more alcoholic drinks per day, and prolonged sedentary behavior
Oh wow. So if I have some of those risk factors, what can I do about it?
There are many medications of course to help with OP, but that is outside of our scope of practice. So we will mostly focus on physical activity from here on out. Namely, it’s important that any exercise interventions for OP are prescribed appropriately, and are completed under the guidance of a physical therapist or personal trainer. But, we know that there are NO exercises so far that have been shown to be harmful to anyone with OP! Even high-intensity exercise can be safe for postmenopausal people with vulvas, when it is appropriately recommended.
That’s so cool! So what types of exercise are best?
This is such a BIG topic that we had to split it up into two articles! So please check our next article titled “Osteoporosis Part 2: How to build stronger bones through exercise” for more information! MommaStrong can absolutely help with building bone density, so if you are interested in our special offer for new members of $5/month for the first 3 months, click here!
Reference:
Dressendorfer, R, BscPT, PhD, and A, MPT Callanen. “Osteoporosis and Exercise.” CINAHL Rehabilitation Guide, edited by DhSc, MSPT, PT Richman S, Aug. 2021. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rrc&AN=T709163&site=eds-live
Image by Dr. Manuel González Reyes from Pixabay