disease

Bone Health

Learn about bone health, what it is, what it is effected by, and how to maintain and promote it. This article gives great insight to the importance of bone health published on moveforwardpt.com, a site created by the American Physical Therapy Association. For more questions call us at 619-756-7500!

Physical therapists are experts in improving and restoring mobility and play an important role in ensuring optimal bone health. Healthy bones can help you stay strong and active throughout your life. If good bone health is achieved during childhood and maintained, it can help to avoid bone loss and fracture later in life. For healthy bones, it is important to maintain a physically active lifestyle and eat a balanced diet with plenty of calcium, vitamin D, and perhaps other supplements as needed. Physical therapists can design a unique program for you to help keep your bones healthy.

Osteoporosis is a common bone disease that affects both men and women (mostly women), usually as they age. It is associated with low bone mass and thinning of the bone structure, making bones fragile and more likely to break.

Some people are more at risk for osteoporosis than others. Not all risk factors can be changed, but healthy habits and a proper exercise routine designed by your physical therapist can keep bones healthy and reduce risk. Risk factors* include:

Age: More common in older individuals
Sex: More common in women
Family History: Heredity
Race and Ethnicity: Affects all races. In the US, increased risk for Caucasian, Asian, or Latino
Weight: Low body weight (small and thin)
Diet, especially one low in calcium and vitamin D
History of broken bones
Menopause
Inactive lifestyle
Smoking
Alcohol abuse
Certain medications, diseases, and other medical conditions

Physical therapists can help prevent osteoporosis and treat its effects by designing individualized exercise programs to benefit bone health, improve posture, and enhance core stability and balance. Most of these exercises are simple and can be done at home with no special equipment.

Fight Fracture with Fitness

Inactivity is a major risk factor for osteoporosis. The right exercises and good habits can keep bones strong and prevent or reverse the effects of osteoporosis. Weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, is an important way to build and maintain healthy bones. Muscle strengthening exercises have been found to stimulate bone growth and can help prevent and treat osteoporosis. These types of exercises are best if started early in life and done regularly. However, it is important to remember that you can begin exercising at any age and still reap great benefits.

If you have osteoporosis, are at high risk for a fall or fracture, or have a medical condition, affecting your ability to exercise, do not begin an exercise program without first consulting your physician and a physical therapist.

Avoid exercises and daily activities, which round the spine, such as sit-ups, crunches, bending down to tie your shoes, exercise machines that involve forward bending of the trunk, and movements and sports that round and twist the spine.

Benefits of Good Balance

Preserving balance and stability with exercises can help reduce falls and resulting fractures. Exercises that improve posture, core stability, balance, and coordination, can also protect the spine against compression fractures. An individualized program may include a walking regimen, Tai Chi, and other exercises geared toward conditioning, balance, and coordination.

Bone Health Begins With Good Posture

Physical therapists recommend good posture and safe movements to protect bones from fracture during daily activities. Using proper posture and safe body mechanics during all activities protects the spine against injury. Here are some tips:

Keep your back, stomach, and leg muscles strong and flexible.
Keep your body in alignment, so it can be more efficient when you move.
Do not slouch. When sitting, keep your spine and head straight. Put a small pillow behind your waist to keep your spine in a good position.
Use good body positioning at work, home, or during leisure activities.
When lifting or bending forward, bend your knees, keep your back straight, bend forward at the hip crease, and lift with your legs. Keep the load close to your body.
Ask for help or use an assistive device to lift heavy objects.
Maintain a regular physical fitness regimen. Staying active can help to prevent injuries.

Rehabilitation With a Personal Trainer vs. Physical Therapy

When tackling your fitness goals, its important to know your body. Are you looking to improve your fitness level or do you have some injury or pain that you need to heal? Your fitness goals will determine whether you see a personal trainer or a physical therapist. Learn the difference between training with both from this article posted on Livestrong.com and written by Nick Ng. For more questions, call our studio at 619-756-7500!

Personal fitness trainers design exercise programs and help their clients execute them to maintain or improve health, while physical therapists diagnose, treat and manage pain, injuries and diseases. Fitness trainers often encounter clients with existing difficulties, such as severe back pain and diabetes, and plan activities that blur the line between fitness and medicine. When a problem is beyond their expertise, trainers must refer clients to a proper rehabilitation professional, such as a physical therapist.

Therapist Education and Qualifications

Physical therapists must have at least a master’s degree in physical therapy, kinesiology, sports medicine or a similar field. If your bachelor’s degree is not exercise related, you need to complete prerequisites as mandated by a university before applying for the physical therapy program. Physical therapists must also be licensed by the state they practice in, pass the National Physical Therapy Examination and fulfill state requirements such as jurisprudence exams, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They must also take continuing education courses to keep their practice updated to maintain their license.

Trainer Education and Qualifications

The profession of personal training does not have an educational standard and is self-regulated. Trainers can have a master’s degree in biomechanics with five years of experience working at a clinical and athletic setting, or simply a weekend certification with no experience. However, personal trainers should have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in exercise science or a related field as well as an accredited certification that extends their academic knowledge, such as PTA Global or the National Academy of Sports Medicine. They should also be CPR and first-aid certified.

Scope of Practice

Physical therapists diagnose, treat and rehabilitate patients who have an injury or disease that limits their movement. Their job is to help patients move independently, alleviate pain and prevent disability. They often work with patients with joint and muscle pain, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, cerebral palsy, stroke, spina bifida and post-surgical conditions.

Besides designing exercise programs, personal trainers also coach clients to a healthier and more active lifestyle, help prevent injuries and help clients follow through with their physician’s or physical therapist’s advice. They also screen movement patterns to ensure that clients can move well without pain or severe limitations. Trainers may not recommend diets or supplements, unless they are registered dietitians.

Expert Insight

A personal trainer may perform the work of a physical therapist only if he is a licensed physical therapists also. This hybrid professional may work with a patient with back pain and a high school football player who wishes to gain muscle size and speed.

Some personal training certification agencies provide a clinical exercise certification for trainers who have little or no experience or qualifications in the rehabilitation field. When in doubt, choose a physical therapist over a personal trainer for rehabilitation services.

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