These osteoporosis exercises are designed to relieve back pain and improve posture including after spinal crush fracture. Physiotherapist Michelle guides you through these exercises based upon scientific evidence supporting exercises that can reduce back pain and improve hunched forwards posture. These exercises are all performed seated and are suitable with osteopenia or osteoporosis.
If you’ve suffered a spinal fracture please ensure you have your doctor’s approval to exercise at least 3 months after spinal fracture has healed.
AVOID these Exercises with:
– Spinal fracture within past 3 months
– Pins and needles or numbness
– Coexisting health condition that prevents you from exercising.
1. Posture Exercise for Osteoporsis
Practicing good posture is most helpful for preventing crush fractures in your spine. These can occur when you slump forwards with rounded posture because slumping forwards presses the vertebrae together increasing stress on the bones.
*Sit forward away from the back rest of your chair.
*Step 1 involves lengthening your spine by lifting the crown of your head towards the ceiling as if there’s a string lifting you upwards.
*Step 2 involves raising your chest bone forwards and slightly upwards. Keep your shoulders relaxed away from your ears and make sure you don’t arch your back too far inwards. Repeat 10 x 10 second holds throughout the day.
2. Trunk Rotation
Start sitting tall with good posture, keep both feet flat on the ground and your knees about hip width apart. Fold your arms over your chest, lengthen your spine and take a slow deep breathe in. Now turn your whole upper body towards your right (not just your head) and breathe out. Breathe in and now rotate your chest and shoulders towards your left as if to face your body to that side. Repeat 3-5 times each direction.
3. Chest Opening Stretch
This exercise stretches your chest muscles to improve your posture. When the muscles in your chest become tight they can pull you forwards causing rounded shoulders.
*Start by raising your hands so your finger tips are touching behind your ears. If you can’t reach your head, instead lift your hands to touch your shoulders.
*Now sit tall using good posture, breathe in and as you breathe out gently move your elbows backwards up to 5 seconds. Repeat this exercise for 5 x 5 second holds
4. Back Strengthening Exercise for Posture
Use a hand towel or the tie of you bath robe for this exercise, otherwise or if you have an exercise resistance band you can use that instead.
*Start holding your tie with your hands about shoulder width apart and your palms both facing the ceiling and your thumbs point outwards.
*Sit tall, lengthen your spine and raise your chest.
*Draw gently on either end of the tie and squeeze your shoulder blades together and gently pull on your tie as if you’re trying to lengthen it. Keep your elbows touching your waist and do this gently not forcefully. Hold your exercise for the count to 5 and now relax. Aim to do up to 20 of these osteoporosis exercises on 3 days of the week.
References:
Bennell, Kim L., Matthews, Bernadette, Greig, Alison, Briggs, Andrew, Kelly, Anne, Sherburn, Margaret, … Wark, John. (2010). Effects of an exercise and manual therapy program on physical impairments, function and quality-of-life in people with osteoporotic vertebral fracture: a randomised, single-blind controlled pilot trial. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 11.
Spinal fracture image courtesy of www.injurymap.com/free-human-anatomy-illustrations
https://www.injurymap.com/free-human-anatomy-illustrations
Music by Aiden Kenway: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEeJ… Lights by Sappheiros https://soundcloud.com/sappheirosmusic Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/LightsSappheiros Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/-lbbHQbZNKg
Disclaimer
The information provided in this video is intended as general information and not a substitute for individual medical advice regarding your medical condition. To the extent permitted by law, neither Healthy Fit Solutions Pty Ltd, as trustee for the P & M Kenway Family Trust (“we”), nor any of our officers, employees, agents or related bodies corporate will be liable in any way (including for negligence) for any loss, damage, costs or expenses suffered by you or claims made against you through your use of, or in connection with, this video or information supplied or offered to be supplied on this video. Although we use our best efforts to provide accurate information and other materials on this video, the video is provided “as-is”. To the extent permitted by law, all warranties, conditions and representations provided about or by this video are excluded.
