Pilates Making a Difference for People with Osteoporosis

Pilates – Making a Difference for People with Osteoporosis

Author: Linda Avarello

Date: January 2016

Course Year: 2014

Course Location: Costa Mesa, CA

Abstract

I am writing about the difference Pilates can make for clients who have Osteoporosis. I am particularly interested in this topic because, the majority of Pilates’ clients I teach are female between the ages of 50-72. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, post-menopausal women are more at risk for developing Osteoporosis. In this paper, I will discuss Osteoporosis, provide an anatomical description of the spine, discuss the difference Pilates can make, and present a case study/conditioning program for people diagnosed with Osteoporosis.

Table of Contents

Title Page ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Page 1

Abstract……………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………………Page 2

Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………………………………………Page 3

Anatomical Description…………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 4

What is Osteoporosis……………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 6

Osteoporosis & Exercise…………………………………………………………………………………………………Page 6

Suggested Pilates Session……………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 7

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 9

Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Page 10

Anatomical Description

The following diagrams illustrate what Osteoporosis looks like. These images have been taken from the website, Eurospine.org, http://www.eurospine.org/osteoporosis-of-the-thoracolumbar-and-lumbar-spine.htm#el31002766

The following image illustrates to the left, what normal vertebral look like, and to the right osteoporotic vertebra.

The following diagram shows a healthy normal spine to the left, and a spine suffering from kyphotic deformity stemming from Osteoporosis.

What is Osteoporosis?

The Collins-English dictionary defines Osteoporosis as, “porosity and brittleness of the bones due to loss of calcium from the bone matrix.” According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 54 million people in the US have osteoporosis and low bone mass. Osteoporosis affects both men and women. However, women’s bones are generally thinner than men’s, which puts post-menopausal women at the highest risk. Bone fractures (hip, spine, wrist, and shoulder) are the most common complications associated with Osteoporosis.

Often times, people do not realize that they have Osteoporosis until after they break a bone. Many times there are no outward symptoms. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, a bone density test is the only way to diagnose Osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis and Exercise

Research indicates that exercise should be a primary focus for people with Osteoporosis. Exercise appears to be one of the best methods of keeping bones healthy and increasing bone density. Research indicates that resistance training and weight-bearing exercises can help build bone and keep bones healthy and strong. Before beginning any exercise, people should first consult with their physician.

Pilates can be highly beneficial for people with Osteoporosis. Exercises that involve forward flexion and rotation should be avoided. Those exercises can place unnecessary and damaging pressure that can result in bone fractures. It is important to know when incorporate modifications.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends that people with Osteoporosis in their spine avoid the following:

· bend forward from the waist

· twist and bend at the torso (trunk) to an extreme

· carry packages that are too heavy

· bend forward when coughing and sneezing

· reach for objects on a high shelf

· do toe-touches, sit-ups or abdominal crunches

Suggested Pilates Session for Osteoporosis

Below is a suggested Pilates session for a client with Osteoporosis. This is a client I’ve been working with for 6 months. She is 60 years old and was recently diagnosed with Osteoporosis in her lower spine and Osteopenia in her right hip.

Warm Up

Pelvic Curl

Leg Lifts/Leg Changes or

Hundred Prep (with head down)

Foot Work (3 red springs)

Parallel Heels

Parallel Toes

V Position Toes

Open V Heels

Open V Toes

Calf Raises

Prances

Single Leg Heel (2 red springs)

Single Leg Toe (2 red springs)

Abdominal Work (1 green spring)

Hundred Prep – head down

Coordination – head down

Hip Work (1 red, 1 blue spring)

Frog

Circles Down, Up

Openings

Spinal Articulation (2 red springs, 1 blue spring)

Bottom Lift

Stretches

Standing Lunge (1 red spring) or

Side Split (1 red spring)

Full Body Integration (Fundamental/Intermediate)

Thigh Stretch with Roll up Bar – Cadillac

Stomach Massage – Reformer – 2 red springs, 1 blue spring

Flat Back & Reaching

(No Round Back)

Arm Work

Arms Standing Series (Cadillac) – yellow spring

Chest Expansion

Hug-A-Tree

Circles (Up and Down)

Punches

Biceps

(No Butterfly)

Arms Sitting Series (Reformer) – 1 blue spring on the post

Chest Expansion

Biceps

Rhomboids

Hug-A-Tree

Salute

Full Body Integration (Advanced /Master)

None

Leg Work

Jumping Series – 2 red springs

Parallel Position

V Position

Single Leg Parallel – 1 red spring

Leg Changes – 1 red spring

Lateral Flexion

Side Lifts – Mat

Back Extension

Back Extension – Mat

Breaststroke Prep – Reformer – 1 red spring

(Straighten & bend arms only, keep head aligned with spine – no lifting of the trunk)

Conclusion

Pilates can be highly beneficial for people with Osteoporosis. Some people report that Pilates can even prevent or reverse Osteoporosis. It is critical that an instructor do a full evaluation with their client so that they can learn restrictions, limitations, and medical history. It is also critical that an instructor understand the exercises, not only the movement, but also the muscle focus and objectives, so that any modifications can be made and so that they can determine if an exercise contraindicates Osteoporosis. Brittle bones are serious and can easily fracture. It is critical that an instructor do their homework and create a program that is appropriate for their clients with Osteoporosis.

My client with Osteoporosis has said that her practice of Pilates has made a tangible difference. She expressed that her abdominals are stronger and her back pain has lessened. Overall, her body feels stronger. Being a Pilates Instructor is not about teaching a form of exercise, it truly is about making a difference in peoples’ lives and the world.

Bibliography

“Osteoporosis of the Thoracolumbar and Lumbar Spine,” eurospine.org. April 2009.

“Collins English Dictionary,” dictionary.com, Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition.

“What is Osteoporosis,” nof.org/articles/7, National Osteoporosis Foundation.

“Making a Diagnosis,” nof.org/articles/8, National Osteoporosis Foundation.

“Exercise for Strong Bones,” nof.org/exercise, National Osteoporosis Foundation.

Isacowitz, Rael, Study Guide, Comprehensive Course, Costa Mesa, California: Body Arts and Science International, 2013.

“Pilates for Osteoporosis,” altmd.com, Dennis Thompson Jr., Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH, June 2011.

“Osteoporosis and Pilates,” drweil.com, Rotstein, Rebekah, 13, July 2014.