Low Bone Density is like a Wicker Chair

Hi, Everyone,
I thought I would share this with you. It's in my book and it seems to help a lot of people 'get' the low bone density thing. It's one thing if you have already fractured but if you haven't had a fracture yet, there isn't much to dissuade you from continuing life as usual. (Not that you shouldn't do what you love! Just a few small changes may be necessary).

Imagine your bone density as a wicker chair. When bone is healthy it is like a new wicker chair: A tight network of flexible fibers. If you needed to, you could stand on that new wicker chair to hang a picture on the wall. Now imagine that same wicker chair sitting out in your yard for 10 years with the sun, rain and freezing weather. The flexible fibers have become stiff, brittle and chances are really good that many fibers have just completely deteriorated. That is exactly the same kind of thing that is happening if you have low bone density. Where you once had flexible and dense fibers, now you have missing fibers in the network and the ones that are left are more stiff and brittle than before.

Now, imagine stepping on that old, weathered wicker chair to hang a picture on the wall. I doubt you would even try it but if you did your foot would go right through from the pressure. It is that kind of pressure that you are trying to avoid putting on your spine with all of your daily activities. Obviously you wouldn't have someone step on your spine, but using that imagery would you do joint-manipulating chiropractics? Would you do sit-ups? Would you twist as you are putting a heavy load of groceries in the car? Once you have the imagery of the wicker chair, the answer to all of those questions is, of course, no. It makes more sense.

Now imagine wrapping a flexible clay around that old wicker chair. It's sturdier now but I still wouldn't stand on it. I would probably sit on it, though, if the clay were strong enough. That flexible clay is your musculature. The stronger you are the more your fracture risk reduces. But you need to do safe exercises. VERY IMPORTANT!

Good luck everyone!
Karena

By pgreene
Posted August 28, 2009 at 7:44 pm
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Karena,
I love your analogy! Now can you go a little bit further for me and describe the wicker chair with metal rods and screws to stabilize it (fusion T4-sacrum)? I also have the mystery of being on Fosamax for 13 years which so many think just causes brittle or chalk-like bones. I just wish I knew for sure what my spine was like! I definitely cannot do a standard crunch nor can I twist as I have large screws going into the pelvis to stabilize the sacrum and keep it from cracking. I will really have to think this over and wonder how I would approach a wicker chair held together by titanium. :-)

Peggy

By karenatheklineback
Posted August 28, 2009 at 8:21 pm
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LOL @ PGREENE
Yeah.... Can't help you with that one. Maybe the 'Bionic Wicker Chair?"
Don't worry about not being able to do a standard crunch, I don't recommend them for anyone let alone a Bionic Back. Read the first two blog installments on this link. It'll tell you how strengthen without ever doing a crunch and some good info on the state of abdominal muscles in those of us who have experienced back pain.

http://osteopilates.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=b log&id=19&Itemid=31

good luck and great health! K

By SaraMeeks
Posted August 29, 2009 at 4:35 am
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I like the wicker chair visualization and would like to add another component. It is also likely that one can have a thinly, woven, yet strong and healthy wicker chair construction. This is where bone quality comes in. One can lose the wicker strands but still have good, healthy bone. One still needs to exercise caution in this state but can move into positions that someone with the old, sun-beaten type of construction could not.
Regarding titanium and other spine rods, plates, screws etc--that makes it more complicated. Although the implants hold the bone together where they are, it's possible that areas above and below the implants would be weaker and be injured with certain movements. Moving with an elongated spine and then strengthening the "flexible clay" helps stabilize the areas.
Abdominal crunches have been shown in research (Richardson 1990) to be the LEAST effective lower abdominal strengthener anyway--why would one do them when you know that? There are many other ways to strengthen the abs in a safe way and without a pelvic tilt.
Karen--is the wicker chair your original visual image?

By karenatheklineback
Posted August 29, 2009 at 11:42 am
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Hi, Sara!
thanks for your input. Yes, the wicker chair is mine. I have a wicker chair that sits in the yard. It used to protect our bunny, 'Jack The Rabbit' from the local flying carnivores. The chair was there when I was writing the book and so therefore took on a starring role... seemed to help my clients with osteoporosis understand the bone situation a little better.

Thank-you for bringing up the fact that there can be few fibers but they can be strong and flexible. I believe it is Vitamin K that is most helpful there. But it's only one of many nutrients needed. Eat a big and varied dark green salad and you'll probably hit most of them. More on that later, though...
Best of Health,
Karena

By SaraMeeks
Posted August 30, 2009 at 5:38 pm
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Lots of nutrients contribute to bone quality. What I picked up in the literature also is the importance of hydration, so drink that water and forget the soda which is a bone robber not a bone builder.
I like the book The Osteoporosis Solution by Carl Germano for information on nutrition. Have you read it? It's an "older" book but very good........at least, I think so. I also recommend the book Food and Your Bones by Anne Marie Colbin (skip the exercise chapter.) And Better Bones, Better Body by Susan Brown. There are probably more but those are the ones I've "devoured."

By Alli
Posted August 30, 2009 at 6:30 pm
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Sara can exercise elongate the spine? Do u mean stretching exercises? I am amazed that you gained height... I thought once you lost it ... it was gone
Any pointers on this

By SaraMeeks
Posted August 30, 2009 at 8:34 pm
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Hello Alli:
I believe that exercise can elongate the spine. My program focuses on the back--doing exercises for back extensor strengthening, re-hydrating the discs, postural correction.
I always wanted to be 5'4" and made it to 5'21/2" so far. One of my exercises is to walk, sit and move around as if you are the height you want to be or used to be. I do it frequently, along with lots of other exercises.
If you would like a list of therapists in your area who have had my training contact me via sara@sarameekspt.com.
Hope this is helpful.
Sara Meeks

By SherriBetz
Posted October 7, 2009 at 11:41 am
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Elongated spine is an image. On Xray, the space between the discs actually doesn't change, but what does change is the action of the muscles around the spine (transversus abdominus activation, multifidus, pelvic floor) all come in to support the spine. They act to diminish compression and shear like a corset and may also protect the spine from fractures. When you try to stand taller, place your hands on your lower belly and feel the belly draw in as you stand taller. Dr. Andrew Briggs, PhD, PT from Australia is working on this research. I think of a teenager stance versus a ballerina posture. Good posture requires a little bit of work and a LOT of awareness!
Sherri Betz, PT

By sdivas
Posted October 7, 2009 at 2:37 pm
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Hi Sherri, may I ask with Pilates Reformer, what is your opinion on double leg stretch and double leg with beats with head down. Would criss-cross on your list be what I am calling beats? Thanks. Sandi

By SherriBetz
Posted October 8, 2009 at 10:41 am
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Hi Sandi,
I am not sure exactly what you are asking. We don't usually do Double Leg Stretch on the Reformer. It is a mat exercise. However, in doing Double Leg Stretch and Beats with the legs straight, it is safe to do this with the head down as long as the person is strong enough to control the spinal position (without arching the back). I don't do criss cross with osteoporosis because this exercise requires thoracic flexion with rotation. If you keep the head down with crisscross, you can do just the leg movement, bending the knees and straightening them alternately. Is this what you mean?

By sdivas
Posted October 8, 2009 at 4:27 pm
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Thanks Sheri for your reply. I've been taking Pilates Reformer for over 4 yrs and feel my form is good. I also have a very good instructor that has knowledge of bone loss, and watches me very carefully, but I was slightly concerned during the abs series with single leg stretch and double leg stretch if I needed to only do single leg stretch. With double leg stretch on the Reformer, my head is down. Arms are up with hands in small loops. Legs go up and straight(not high; between 45 and 90 degrees and of course not locked). As an additional exercise, I do another set with beats; feet crossing quickly in front and behind the other each time I straighten my legs. The beats are counts of 3 beats. I have the strength and I'm doing correct breathing through the exercise, but I wanted to double check with you about the beats. I also take ballet barre and do little jumps with beats, so my instructor incorporates some of the ballet moves within my Reformer practice. Thank you. Sandi

By karenatheklineback
Posted October 8, 2009 at 6:32 pm
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Thanks, Sherri! It's an image that seems to work. All the people that come through our door with osteoporosis and they don't want to change what they are doing in the way of crunches, etc., seem to get it when you use the whole wicker chair thing. :-)

Welcome to Inspire!

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