Page 1 of 12 Osteoporosis
Name: Ligia A. Baloi
Date: 2013.01.02
Course year: 2011
Location course: Budapest, Hungary
Page 2 of 12 Summarize of research:
I decided to write about osteoporosis because I think it is absolutely important to know and do
something for keeping our bones healthy. In my proximity I see there is not much interest for
osteoporosis issues. At least in my Studio, when I talk with my clients about health problems it is
obviously they are concern to make lifestyle changes to prevent conditions like cancer and heart
disease. And, unfortunately, the top of theirs wellness list does not include something related to
osteoporosis. I consider we have to pay more attention to this subject. I can say for certain that Pilates technique can help to prevent and manage this disease. We fortunately
have a wonderful method and a substantial repertoire of exercises for keeping the body balanced and
healthy. I encourage everyone to understand that osteoporosis put the body in danger if we doing
nothing for keeping it under control.
Page 3 of 12 Table of Contens:
•
Anatomical description of skeleton’s bones.
•
What is osteoporosis?
•
Risks of osteoporosis
•
Which is the best exercise we can do for strong bones?
•
What Pilates does do to prevent and manage the osteoporosis
•
Conclusion of research
•
Bibliography
Page 4 of 12 Anatomical description of skeleton’s bones.
The human skeleton
Bones provide the structure for our bodies. The adult human skeleton is made up of 206 bones. These
include the bones of the skull, spine (vertebrae), ribs, arms and legs.
We are actually born with more bones (about 300), but many fuse together as a child grows up. These
bones support our body and allow we to move. Bones contain a lot of calcium and manufacture blood
cells and store important minerals.
Page 5 of 12 The longest bone in our bodies is the femur (thigh bone). The smallest bone is the stirrup bone inside
the ear. Each hand has 26 bones in it. Our nose and ears are not made of bone; they are made of
cartilage, a flexible substance that is not as hard as bone.
Bones are made of connective tissue reinforced with calcium and specialised bone cells. Most bones also
contain bone marrow, where blood cells are made.
Bones work with muscles and joints to hold our body together and support freedom of movement. This is
called the musculoskeletal system. The skeleton supports and shapes the body and protects delicate
internal organs such as the brain, heart and lungs.
Joints: Bones are connected to other bones at joints. There are many different types of joints, including:
fixed joints (such as in the skull, which consists of many bones), hinged joints (such as in the fingers
and toes), and ball-and-socket joints (such as the shoulders and hips).
Differences in males and females: Males and females have slightly different skeletons, including a
different elbow angle. Males have slightly thicker and longer legs and arms; females have a wider
pelvis and a larger space within the pelvis, through which babies travel when they are born.
What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a bone disease characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue. This
leads to increased bone fragility and risk of fracture (broken bones), particularly of the hip, spine, wrist and
shoulder.
Osteoporosis is often known as “the silent thief” because bone loss occurs without symptoms.
Osteoporosis is sometimes confused with osteoarthritis, because the names are similar.
Osteoporosis is not just a woman’s disease. It is also a serious health issue for men. During their lifetime,
at least one in three women and one in five men will suffer a broken bone from osteoporosis.
Page 6 of 12 Osteoporosis affects men and women of all races. But white and Asian women — especially those who
are past menopause — are at highest risk.
Bone is living tissue, which is constantly being absorbed and replaced. Osteoporosis occurs when the
creation of new bone doesn't keep up with the removal of old bone.
The body is constantly remodelling the skeleton by building up new bone tissue and breaking down old
bone tissue as required.
Healthy bone needs a balanced diet, regular weight-bearing exercise and the right levels of various
hormones.
Some people think of bones as hard and lifeless. But, our bones are actually living, growing tissue. Our
bones are made up of three major components that make them both flexible and strong:
1. Collagen, a protein that gives bones a flexible framework.
2. Calcium-phosphate mineral complexes that make bones hard and strong.
3. Living bone cells that remove and replace weakened sections of bone.
In the next image we can see how a normal bone versus on osteoporotic bone looks.
Page 7 of 12 Risks of osteoporosis
Some risk factors for osteoporosis are out of our control. The unchangeable risks including:
Sex. Women are much more likely to develop osteoporosis than are men.
Age. The older you get, the greater your risk of osteoporosis.
Race. You're at greatest risk of osteoporosis if you're white or of Asian descent.
Family history. Having a parent or sibling with osteoporosis puts you at greater risk, especially if you also
have a family history of fractures.
Frame size. Men and women who have small body frames tend to have a higher risk because they may
have less bone mass to draw from as they age.
Hormone levels
Osteoporosis is more common in people who have too much or too little of certain hormones in their
bodies. Examples include:
•
Sex hormones. The reduction of estrogen levels at menopause is one of the strongest risk factors
for developing osteoporosis. Women may also experience a drop in estrogen during certain
cancer treatments. Men experience a gradual reduction in testosterone levels as they age. And
some treatments for prostate cancer reduce testosterone levels in men. Lowered sex hormone
levels tend to weaken bone.
•
Thyroid problems. Too much thyroid hormone can cause bone loss. This can occur if your thyroid
is overactive or if you take too much thyroid hormone medication to treat an underactive thyroid.
•
Other glands. Osteoporosis has also been associated with overactive parathyroid and adrenal
glands.
Page 8 of 12 Dietary factors
Osteoporosis is more likely to occur in people who have:
Low calcium intake. A lifelong lack of calcium plays a major role in the development of osteoporosis. Low
calcium intake contributes to diminished bone density, early bone loss and an increased risk of fractures.
Eating disorders. People who have anorexia are at higher risk of osteoporosis. Low food intake can
reduce the amount of calcium ingested. In women, anorexia can stop menstruation, which also weakens
bone.
Weight-loss surgery. A reduction in the size of your stomach or a bypass of part of the intestine limits the
amount of surface area available to absorb nutrients, including calcium.
Steroids and other medications
Long-term use of corticosteroid medications, such as prednisone and cortisone, interferes with the bonerebuilding process. Osteoporosis has also been associated with medications used to combat or prevent:
Seizures, Depression, Gastric reflux, Cancer, Transplant rejection.
Lifestyle choices
Some bad habits can increase your risk of osteoporosis. Examples include:
Sedentary lifestyle. People who spend a lot of time sitting have a higher risk of osteoporosis than do their
more-active counterparts. Any weight-bearing exercise is beneficial for your bones, but walking, running,
jumping, dancing and weightlifting seem particularly helpful for creating healthy bones.
Excessive alcohol consumption. Regular consumption of more than two alcoholic drinks a day increases
your risk of osteoporosis, possibly because alcohol can interfere with the body's ability to absorb calcium.
Tobacco use. The exact role tobacco plays in osteoporosis isn't clearly understood, but researchers do
know that tobacco use contributes to weak bones.
Page 9 of 12 Which is the best exercise we can do for strong bones?
Regular exercise improves health in many ways. People who engage in regular exercise have lower rates
of depression, heart disease, dementia, cancer, diabetes and many other chronic diseases. Exercise can
improve physical fitness, strength, energy levels, stamina and mental health. In children and teens,
frequent and vigorous exercise helps to increase bone strength. In older adults, certain types of exercise
help to prevent bone loss. Exercise also improves balance and coordination, which helps prevent falls and
this in turn may reduce fractures. Exercise is very important for all, but especially for those with
osteoporosis and those who are at risk of a broken bone (fracture) caused by osteoporosis. Because
everyone is different, it is impossible to develop a “one size fits all” program for exercise.
The first step is to consult a doctor before starting a new exercise program. Any exercise may carry with it
a certain amount of risk. If you have osteoporosis or low bone mass, or have broken a bone from a minor
event such falling from a standing height or doing a simple task, you must be aware of your fracture risk to
determine the specific types of exercises that you can perform safely and those you should avoid.
We have to choose weight-bearing activities such as brisk walking, jogging, tennis, netball or dance.
While non-weight-bearing exercises, such as swimming and cycling, are excellent for other health
benefits, they do not promote bone growth.
There is important to include some high-impact exercise into our routine, such as jumping and rope
skipping. But we have to consult our health professional – high-impact exercise may not be suitable if we
have joint problems, another medical condition or are unfit.
Strength training (or resistance training) is also an important exercise for bone health. It involves
resistance being applied to a muscle to develop and maintain muscular strength, muscular endurance and
muscle mass. Importantly for osteoporosis prevention and management, strength training can maintain, or
even improve, bone mineral density. Be guided by a health or fitness professional who can recommend
specific exercises and techniques.
Page 10 of 12 Activities that promote muscle strength, balance and coordination – such as tai chi, Pilates and gentle
yoga – are also important as they can help to prevent falls by improving our balance, muscle strength and
posture.
A mixture of weight-bearing and strength-training sessions throughout the week is ideal, aiming for 30 to
40 minutes, four to six times a week. Exercise for bone growth needs to be regular and have variety.
There is no secret that a lot of Pilates’ exercises counter lack of bone density and the effects of
osteoporosis
What Pilates does do to prevent and manage the osteoporosis
Pilate exercises does do lot of upper body and lower limb (even the Pilates repertoire is not focus on that
part of body) weight-bearing work to prevent and help stabilize the osteoporosis disease.
In my Studio from Timisoara, I pay a special attention to weight-bearing work. When I structure a workout
for a group or individual class I concentrate on upper body as well as lower limb work. In the programme
for intermediate and advanced class I integrate weight –bearing exercises. In general all my clients do this
kind of exercises. I give to everyone the chance to be able to do these exercises. I create and encourage
modifications to facilitate execution and practicing. For example if I have a situation when one of my
clients can’t execute full Front Support or Press-up, I suggest working with knees on the ground and if it is
too difficult I propose another solution like start doing against wall.
First of all, I asses physical potential and general disposition of my client. I consider very important the
couple Body and mind as one for Pilates class success.
When I choose to integrate in the workout exercises for lower limb weight-bearing work, I think to
exercises like Squats (Cadillac), Forward lunge and Backward step down( Combo Chair) and not only.
For improving the weight-bearing capacity through all lower body bones there are many exercises in
Pilates repertoire for strengthening feet, legs, hips, knees. In my opinion working diligently and regularly
Page 11 of 12 for hip area is also very important for manage osteoporosis problems and I introduce for example Leg
circles in all my classes (sometimes with modification like bend knee or with adjustment using terra band).
The hip area is a very sensitive one and exposed to osteoporosis consequences.
If I want to work for upper body or for whole body I think at exercises like: Front Support, Back support,
Leg pull front, Leg pull back, Side bent, Twist, Press-up( Mat repertoire), Balance control front, Balance
control back prep, Balance Control back( Reformer), Hanging back( Cadillac). These exercises are
extraordinary for strengthening all the bones in the hands, wrists, forearms, elbows and shoulders. They
also help strengthen the upper back.
Conclusion of research
The most essential part of Pilates is taking the philosophy home! This method encourages us to think
about how we perform everyday movements and it helps we ensure our body is working at its optimal
level all the time. So, as a functional training system that could work out of the Studio, Pilates’ technique,
approach and repertoire is without any doubt a good way to manage a good health and one of the best
possibility to improving and managing a number of muscular and skeletal conditions, including low back
pain, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and postural conditions. In Pilates, movements are generally performed
at a slower pace to maintain the control needed and connect the movements and breathing. The Pilates’
exercises require: controlled movement, maintenance of correct posture, transference of the body weight,
movement changes of the centre of gravity, coordination of combined body movements (arms and legs).
The repertoire gives us the possibility to work for proper body alignment, posture, balance and for
strengthening all that parts of the body which are most exposed to osteoporosis’ effects: hip, spine,
shoulder and wrist.
Practising Pilates’ exercises we can have a protection against osteoporosis consequences and we can
have also an improvement for the health of our whole body.
Page 12 of 12 Bibliography:
Lawrence, D. ( 2008), Pilates Method, A&C Black.
Berry, Z. (2010), The Truth About Pilates – How to do Pilates correctly, the facts you should know,
Lightning Source UK Ltd.,Milton Keynes UK
http://www.osteoporosis.ca
http://www.mayoclinic.com
http://www.nlm.nih.gov
http://www.webmd.com
http://www.medicinenet.com
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.enchantedlearning.com