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This is a very interesting study supporting the notion that leg strength and balance are equally important to the prediction and prevention of fracture. These two lifestyle factors are easily improved and should be included in any good osteoporosis prevention/treatment program.
Woody McMahon
NOVA Osteoporosis Support Group Leader
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1679116&blobtype=pdf
These are really important points - and encouraging. However, I "read" the article, and it's not written for regular people. It's so scientifically worded that I struggled to get the drift.
Most important predictors of atraumatic fracture (I assume that means you weren't in a car accident):
1. femoral neck bone density
2. leg strength
3. sway (balance) - eyes open/eyes closed, hard/soft surface
Hi slansing:
You got it right. The whole reason for the post was to show how important lifestyle factors are in predicting, treating and preventing osteoporotic fracture. Two out of the three most important predictors for fracture were lifestyle driven and are easily improved. Many of the posts on this site talk about medications, bone density readings or something you can take to fix the condition. This particular article shifts the importance of fracture prevention to things you can do; your balance (which you can easily improve with no side effects) and leg strength (which you can also easily improve with no side effects). And yes a-traumatic is the same as non-traumatic.
Good job!
Woody McMahon
NOVA Osteoporosis Support Group
Great info. Balance and leg strength. One of my favorite balance exercises (in addition to practicing standing on one leg) is to kneel on all fours. Now take the right hand off the floor and put it back down. Is that too easy? Now take off the right hand and the left knee. Make sure the hand and the knee are on opposite sides of your body. Don't try to lift both on the same side. Way hard.... and not practical for functional balance.
Hi karenatheklineback:
The exercise you describe is really not a balance exercise. To improve balance you must be standing on your feet so that you stimulate the inner ear mechanisms and the proprioceptors (nerve sensors) on the bottom of the feet. The exercise you mention is very good for leg, core and back strength plus coordination.
Woody McMahon
NOVA Osteoporosis Support Group Leader
Actually... :-) and not to argue.... but it's fabulous for balance. The core muscles activate and those are the muscles you need for balance. But I completely agree with you! Standing balance is extremely important to practice more important than the exercise I offered. But the exercise I offered places the body in an unfamiliar situation to practice using the same muscles that standing balance requires. If you can't do one you have a lot of trouble doing the other. They are related. Try it!
Best, Karena
Is the exercise that involves kneeling on all fours, then taking the right hand and left knee off the ground, etc.
a good one for me? I am 73, had a hip replacement two
years ago and a kyphoplasty 10 months ago (severe compression fracture to L1). My spine and hip dexa
scans were -3.7 a year ago.
Hi Jacqueline:
You might want to confirm with Lucy B or Sara M. but I believe it should be fine for you. In that position it will help with core stabilization, stimulate extensor muscle action and develop some contralateral (opposite side) brain and muscle stimulation.
It will not help much with balance however.
Woody
Thanks, Woody. I look forward to doing that exercise.
Thanks, also, for all your very informative posts!
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