Osteoporosis

If your doctor or nurse practitioner has told you that you have osteoporosis or you have an increased risk of having it later in life, you might benefit from consulting with a licensed physical therapist. The staff at Columbia Physical Therapy often works with women who are showing side effects from osteoporosis. Some times, people have pain between the shoulder blades or along both sides of the spine in the lower back. This pain is sometimes from the postural abnormalities caused by the lack of bone density in the backbone. Sometimes, people have compression fractures occur which causes the vertebra to be shaped like a pie wedge with pain as a consequence. Learning proper exercises to take the compressive forces off our spine is a good idea to reduce pain and to prevent worsening symptoms.

Additionally, people who have osteoporosis want to reduce their risk of falling so the physical therapists at Columbia Physical Therapy will design a strengthening program for you with balance and coordination skills incorporated. It has been found that those of us who regularly exercise are less likely to fall or lose our balance. There are certain exercises to avoid when you have the diagnosis of osteoporosis therefore it is important to understand which routine of exercise is right for you Proper exercise and understanding safe every day activities will make it a lot easier to avoid the side effects of osteoporosis. Ask your physician or nurse practitioner for a referral to Columbia Physical Therapy.