Hip fractures send tens of thousands of Americans to the emergency room every year, but new research has found that women between the age of 60 and 70 may be at a particularly heightened risk for suffering their first hip fracture. If you want to stay active and keep your risk of a hip fracture at a minimum, you need to be mindful of some of the best ways to preserve your hip health as you age. Below, we explain how physical therapy and some smart lifestyle adjustments can help keep you active and reduce your risk of a painful hip fracture.
Physical Therapy For Hip Fracture Risk Reduction
Research has uncovered that the ages of 60-69 are a particularly susceptible time for a person to suffer their first hip fracture. Many older adults are still quite active at this age, but their body may be feeling the effects of the natural aging process. This is especially true among women with lower bone density. A recent study found that women in this age group are experiencing their first hip fractures 50 percent more than those aged 70 and up. Researchers believe that there is already infrastructure in place to help women over the age of 70 mitigate their risk of a hip fracture, but younger women with low bone density may not be aware of their increased hip fracture risk.
“As the prevalence of osteoporosis nationally shows a worsening trend based on the analysis of the NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) data, women are more likely to experience their first fragility hip fracture in their 60s rather than at older ages, said Avica Atri, MD, an Internal Medicine resident physician at Jefferson Einstein Hospital. “It’s never too early to think about bone health.”
So how can women over the age of 60 work to reduce their risk of a potentially devastating hip fracture? Let’s start by examining the two main components of a hip fracture from the above study, which are fall risk and bone health.
Reducing Fall Risk
You don’t want to sit and do nothing when you are near retirement age, and we don’t want you to live a sedentary lifestyle either. It’s wonderful that you want to stay active well into your golden years, but this activity also inherently increases your fall risk. One of the best ways to mitigate this fall risk is by connecting with a physical therapist.
At OrthoRehab Specialists, we’ll conduct an individualized balance and fall-risk assessment to understand your strengths and deficits when it comes to remaining upright on your feet. We will then develop a specific balance and strength training program that helps you become more steady on your feet and remain confident in your ability to perform physical tasks. We will help you gradually take on bigger challenges until you reach your balance training goals. Don’t shy away from activities you love because you’re afraid of a fall. Instead, improve your balance and keep living an active lifestyle.
Bone Health
It’s also very important that you work to improve your bone health and bone density. As we get older, our bodies become less efficient at replacing old bone with new healthy bone. When bone wears down faster than it can be replaced, your bone density decreases as osteoporosis begins to set in. Weaker bones means that it takes less stress for the bone to fracture, so a mild fall can be a major issue for someone with low bone density.
So how can you go about improving your bone density? For starters, excellent nutrition is important. Eating a range of foods can provide your body with essential nutrients that aid in new bone formation. Nutrient intake is only one piece of the puzzle, but consuming the right foods and striving to hit your daily amounts of calcium, Vitamin D and iron are a great start.
Exercise and physical therapy are two additional ways to improve your bone density. Movement pushes healthy oxygenated blood to structures that need it most, and it helps to keep structures that support your hip healthy and functioning properly. We can help you develop an exercise routine or a PT plan that keeps you active and provides an ideal environment for bone health and development.
Hip fractures can slow you down in a hurry, but we don’t want you to shy away from activity because you’re afraid of a fall. Instead, take proactive steps to reduce your fall risk and increase your bone density to greatly reduce your hip fracture risk. For help with any part of this process, or for assistance with a different physical issue, reach out to the team at OrthoRehab Specialists today at (612) 339-2041.
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