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The Manual Touch Physical Therapy

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Menopause: Why Women Over 40 Are More Prone to Injury

July 26, 2022 By Denise Schwartz 1 Comment

avoid injury after menopause the manual touch physical therapy

When I was a kid I loved to tumble in our empty living room, the backyard or in gym class.  I used my tumbling skills as a junior high cheerleader and then in high school on the gymnastics team. As you can imagine, I was very small and flexible, however I didn’t have a lot of power, so I was only successful doing floor and balance beam.  For three months of the year we would have gymnastic practice six days per week lasting for three hours, which included endurance work such as running up and down flights of stairs or running two miles.  I was not the best on the team but I was a good leader and had a lot of fun with my teammates.  I fortunately never had an injury. 

In my 20’s and 30’s I skied and played tennis a lot and never had an injury then either. In fact, I never had a musculoskeletal injury until I began running in my 40’s.  

What happens to women after age 40 (or sometimes earlier) that puts us at more risk of injury? The perimenopause or menopausal years!

During menopause, women experience hormonal changes, particularly a drop in estrogen.  The estrogen drop affects women’s musculoskeletal system in a multitude of ways: 

  • An increase in body fat
  • A decrease in muscle mass 
  • Bone loss
  • A decrease in strength 
  • A decrease in flexibility  

These musculoskeletal losses can lead to serious issues such as osteoporosis, osteopenia, muscle strains, tendonitis, bursitis, fractures, decreased balance, and increased risk for falls.

Osteopenia/osteoporosis

Osteoporosis makes your bones weak and brittle from low bone density.  When you’re young, your bones are constantly regenerating new bone which increases your bone density.  Somewhere around age 35 or older your body doesn’t generate bone as fast as it used to. This coupled with hormonal changes, genetic factors, previous activity level and previous prolonged steroid use can make you prone to osteoporosis.

Osteopenia is the beginning stage of osteoporosis.  

Diagnosis is done via a dexa scan which measures the bone density of your wrist, lumbar spine and hip.  The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommend women over the age of 65 and men over the age of 70 get a dexa scan.  

There are some osteopenia/osteoporosis tell tale signs that we see in our patients during a physical therapy evaluation.

  • Increased thoracic kyphosis – the upper back becomes more rounded
  • Flattened lumbar lordosis – the lower back becomes flatter
  • Flattened thoracic kyphosis – the upper back becomes flatter
  • Iliac crest (top of the pelvic bone) distance to rib cage is very narrow
  • Scoliosis – increase curvature of spine in “S” shape
  • Decreased height – you will become shorter as the spinal bones (vertebrae) collapse on itself

When I see these postural changes in someone, no matter their age, I will recommend they talk to their doctor about getting a dexa scan.  I have seen many women diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis in their 40s and 50s.  It is important to have an official diagnosis to receive appropriate exercises, education and medical intervention.  Ultimately osteoporosis/osteopenia puts you at greater risk for fractures, falls, and pain.

Muscle strains, tendonitis, bursitis

Have you experienced increased soft tissue injuries now that you’re over 40?  With a decrease in muscle and bone mass along with increased body fat your propensity for injury is greater.  If you have been on prolonged use of steroids for a medical condition, this will also weaken your bones and soft tissue.  

The days of being a weekend warrior and having a little muscle soreness are gone.  Before you know it, that little muscle soreness is actually an injury that will take weeks, maybe even months to heal.

Falling and Balance

Do you just feel like you are not as agile or as quick on your feet as you used to be?  

Well, the bone and muscle loss will also affect your balance and agility.  I can’t tell you how many times a day I educate my patients how to be mindful as they move through the day.  Even though, in your head, you can still move and jump and exercise like you did as a teenager (in my head I can still do a backflip) your body just isn’t the same and will not respond the same.

When you move as you did when you were younger your chances of losing your balance and possibly falling is greater which can lead to injury such as a fracture.

Physical Therapy and Menopause

Wouldn’t it be nice if insurance realized the cost savings and benefits for preventive medicine?  If I had a say in it, all people over the age of 40 would come in for an annual musculoskeletal screening to monitor changes over the years.  Why?  Because physical therapists evaluate the following parameters and monitor changes over time:

  • Posture 
  • Strength 
  • Balance
  • Mobility
  • Cognitive
  • Neurological

In addition to the above physical checkup, physical therapists ask a lot of questions during the patient’s therapy session.  Because of this, we are often the first in the chain of healthcare providers to truly unravel the patient’s story of how and why they are currently suffering.

We then teach appropriate exercises, safety education, and guidance to help patients stay healthy so they can enjoy the things they love to do.

Are you Approaching Menopause? Here’s What You Can Do

Despite the menopausal changes in women’s bodies, there are things that can be done to maintain or improve bone and musculoskeletal health.

  • Keep moving! 
  • Weight bearing exercise such as walking or running. 
  • Strength training using light weights 
  • Avoid sitting too much.
  • Strengthen your hip muscles
  • Be mindful of your movement throughout the day
  • Mindful walking

Are you interested in having a “menopause” check up? Give us a call or contact us through our website.

Sources:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoporosis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351974

https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/osteoporosi

Filed Under: Aging, Health & Wellness Tagged With: 40s, aging, menopause, osteoporosis, woman

About Denise Schwartz

Denise Schwartz, PT, IMT, C is the owner of The Manual Touch Physical Therapy. For over 30 years, she has been helping patients reduce pain and improve quality of life using a whole body approach. Denise specializes in chronic pain, spinal conditions, running/triathlon injuries and prevention, balance/vestibular disorders, functional exercise, kinesiotaping, and various non-traditional and traditional & manual therapies. Contact Denise at denise@themanualtouch.com

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We believe all body systems and mental/emotional health are connected. We take a whole body approach to discover why patients are not healing and what were the initial causes of their current symptoms. 

Our mission is to use this whole body approach to help patients heal and overcome pain and limitations, resulting in improved quality of life. We also aim to promote wellness in our communities through ongoing education. 
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Testimonials

I saw Denise at The Manual Touch recently for sciatic pain, that only the day before I saw Denise kept me from walking; I could only hobble for short distances before I would sit down and collapse. After some tissue work and gentle exercise with Deni… Read more
https://themanualtouch.com/wp/testimonial/m-d-evanston-il
I was in Florida for vacation and developed an upper respiratory infection. I had annoying coughing and congestion in my chest. This went on for several days, and it was not getting better. It felt like I had a mucous plug stuck in my chest that woul… Read more
https://themanualtouch.com/wp/testimonial/a-b-riverwoods
The best physical therapist I’ve ever experienced is Denise Schwartz in Wheeling at the Manual Touch. I have seen Denise twice for over 6 months to treat 2 bouts of frozen shoulder that occurred 8 years apart. In addition to my shoulder, she has also… Read more
https://themanualtouch.com/wp/testimonial/b-h-elmhurst-il
As a young elite athlete I was involved in numerous accidents resulting in scar tissue causing loss of flexibility and restrictions as an adult. After each treatment I feel so much less restriction and experience greater range of motion.
https://themanualtouch.com/wp/testimonial/s-northbrook-il
Last winter our daughter Maddie had had several eye and ear infections, and all required topical and oral antibiotics.  These were instigated by a plugged tear duct.  A pediatric ophthalmologist said there was little chance the duct would open up o… Read more
The physical therapy I received at The Manual Touch PT helped reduce my sciatica pain to a manageable level in just a few sessions.  The exercises I was given strengthened and trained my muscles to prevent further back problems allowing me to return… Read more
Just a note to thank you for the time you spent with me Saturday in evaluating my running technique and body alignment.  Your suggestions are already making sense and having an early impact.  After our meeting, I went out for a 5K run and found you… Read more
I have been receiving PT therapy for pain and autoimmune disorders for over 18 months at The Manual Touch.  This also affects my kidneys and my lungs and other organs as I swell with fluid that my lymph system doesn’t seem to handle well.  I depe… Read more
Excellent, professional assessment and treatment for an older woman who’s had lots of failed therapy. Kind and compassionate and caring! Thanks.
I can honestly say that Denise was the first physical therapist to listen to my story.   She has demonstrated more patience and compassion than any other therapist that I’ve ever met. For the past 8 years, I have been symptomatic with Ehlers Danlo… Read more
Read More

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