Like it or not, we're not superheroes; our bones will break
- Category: Blog, Orthopedics
- Posted On:
- Written By: King's Daughters Health
We may feel our bodies are invincible like superheroes— able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. While in real life, we sometimes fall and don't get up as fast as we would like. And maybe the next day we move slower. It's called getting older. And it happens to everyone — whether we like it or not.
Sometimes, we fracture bones when falling. While on the campaign trail last year, Hillary Clinton fell from a standing height and suffered a fractured elbow. It happens. This type is called a fragility fracture.
Most fragility fractures occur in those 50 or older, but that doesn’t mean that those who are much younger can’t have this happen to them as well. Younger men and women are diagnosed with osteopenia and osteoporosis in there 20s and 30s every day, making them at-risk for fracture.
Other types of fragility fractures are those that occur from minor body movement, like sneezing, coughing, stretching beyond you arms length and rolling over in bed.
So what does this mean for you? If you’ve had a previous fragility fracture your rate of fracture increases by 4. To keep these fractures from reoccurring, have a DEXA scan and start treatments to prevent future fractures.
Prevention of fragility fractures includes balancing exercises, weight bearing and functional exercise training with someone who has education in this area. Physical Therapists, with education in bone disorders, are the best place to start to get proper advice and training with exercises designed for those with bone loss.
There are some simple things you can do to prevent fragility fractures. If you’ve already sustained this type of fracture or if you have low bone mass, take the time to learn some of these preventative measures.Fractures caused by sneezing, coughing, reaching, or rolling over in bed, can be reduced with the following safety tips.
Before you sneeze or cough, slightly bend your knees and brace your upper body by placing your hand behind your back or on your thigh, this will help to protect your spine from the forward movement of your body when sneezing and coughing.
Don’t stretch for items beyond your reach; instead, use a reacher which will prevent the twisting or straining to reach the object.
When you roll over in bed, use the log-rolling method. This movement keeps your upper body and spine straight, like a log, while you roll over with knees bent.
