Physiotherapy for Osteoporosis in London
Osteoporosis
When your bones feel more vulnerable, everyday activities (like reaching for something on a shelf or stepping off a curb) can feel shaky.If you’re feeling less steady on your feet with osteoporosis, we’re here to help you stay strong with comprehensive physiotherapy support.
What Is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a condition where your bones gradually become thinner, less dense, and more fragile as time goes on. That means they’re more likely to break, even from something as seemingly harmless as a minor bump, a small trip, or a sudden twist. The most common places for fractures are the spine, wrist, and hip, but the effects of osteoporosis can be felt in your everyday life, too, especially if you start to feel less steady or more cautious when you move.
Because it develops slowly, many people don’t realise they have osteoporosis until a fracture happens. But that doesn’t mean you have to wait for a problem before you get help. Physiotherapy is a safe way to give your bones added support, improve your balance, and strengthen the muscles that help protect your body from falls or injury.
While physiotherapy can’t rebuild lost bone mass, it can help you feel stronger, more stable, and brimming with confidence, whether you’re walking, lifting, climbing stairs, or just going about your day.
Common Symptoms of Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis doesn’t usually cause pain on its own (unless a fracture occurs), but it can change how your body feels, heals and how confidently you move. Often, the signs are subtle at first, but they’re your body’s way of asking for a bit more support. Here are a few common things you might notice:
- Back pain or a gradual loss of height: Tiny fractures in the spine (called compression fractures) can lead to back discomfort or a feeling that you’re shrinking bit by bit over time.
- Postural changes or a stooped upper back: As the bones in the spine weaken, your posture can shift, and this can sometimes lead to a rounded or hunched appearance that is hard to correct.
- Fractures after small bumps or minor falls: If you’ve ever broken a bone from something that didn’t seem like a big impact, like slipping on the curb or catching your foot on the carpet, it may be a sign that your bones need more support.
- Feeling less steady on your feet: Osteoporosis can make you more cautious with your movement, especially on stairs or uneven ground, even if you haven’t had a fall.
- Muscle weakness or hesitancy to move freely: Sometimes, it’s not just the bones, it’s the muscles around them feeling unsure or underused. That can make you hesitate, especially during lifting, bending, or reaching.
These changes aren’t always easy to spot. Still, they can slowly chip away at your confidence level, making it harder to do the simple things that make up your day, like getting the errands done, climbing the stairs, or getting dressed without hesitation. But with the right physiotherapy plan, there’s a clear way forward. We’re here to help you feel stronger, more balanced, and more at ease in your movement again.
What Can Increase Your Risk of Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis develops quietly over time, but certain factors can make your bones more vulnerable to thinning and weakening. Knowing what might increase your risk can help you make more informed choices to protect your bone health as you age.
- Age-related bone loss, especially after menopause: As we get older, our bodies naturally begin to lose bone density. For women, hormonal changes after menopause can speed up that process.
- Family history of osteoporosis or fractures: If a parent or close relative has had osteoporosis or has broken a bone easily, it could mean your bones are more likely to follow the same pattern.
- Low calcium or vitamin D levels: These nutrients play a very important role in keeping your bones strong. Without enough, your body may struggle to keep its bones healthy.
- Long-term use of certain medications: Some medications (like corticosteroids) can affect how your bones rebuild themselves and may increase your risk of osteoporosis over time.
- Low physical activity or a sedentary lifestyle: Regular movement helps keep your bones strong. If you’re not on your feet much or rarely do any type of weight-bearing activities, your bones may not get the exercise they need to stay strong.
- Smoking, alcohol use, or poor nutrition: These lifestyle factors can interfere with how your body absorbs nutrients and keeps your bone tissue healthy.
What Causes Osteoporosis?
Our bones constantly renew themselves by breaking down old bone and building new bone. But when that natural cycle slips out of balance, and bone loss happens faster than the body can build new bone, osteoporosis can begin to develop. While the reason someone develops osteoporosis isn’t entirely known, here are some potential causes that may contribute.
- Natural bone thinning with age: As part of the ageing process, everyone loses some bone density over time. But with osteoporosis, this bone loss happens much faster, making bones weaker and more likely to break.
- Hormonal changes: Shifts in hormone levels (especially a drop in oestrogen after menopause) can speed up the rate of bone loss. Some medical treatments can also have a similar effect.
- Nutritional deficiencies: Your bones need nutrients like calcium and vitamin D in order to stay strong. If your diet is lacking or your body has trouble absorbing these nutrients, it can impact your bone health over time.
- Underlying conditions: Certain health conditions, like rheumatoid arthritis, coeliac disease, or hormone-related disorders, can interfere with how well your bones are maintained and rebuilt.
- Long-term inactivity: Our bones respond to movement, especially weight-bearing or resistance-based activity. When we don’t move enough or we avoid certain types of exercise, our bones can gradually become weaker.
- Family history of osteoporosis: If someone in your family had osteoporosis, you are significantly more likely to develop it yourself.
How Physit Treats Osteoporosis
When your bones become thinner or more fragile, the goal isn’t to stop moving, it’s to move smarter, with the right kind of support. At Physit, we focus on gentle, bone-safe exercises that help you build up your strength, improve your stability, and feel more confident as you go about your day. And because we come to you, there’s no need to travel, wait in clinics, or guess your way through recovery by going it alone.
Our physiotherapists are trained to work with your body, not against it, creating personalised plans that match your comfort level, unique goals, and medical history. Everything we do is designed to help you stay active, independent, and confident in the way you move.
Here’s a look at what your care may include.
- Balance and fall-prevention training: Improving your balance is one of the best ways to lower the risk of fractures. We will take the time to guide you through steady, practical movements that improve your coordination and give you more trust in your steps, especially on stairs or uneven ground.
- Strengthening exercises for bone health: Gentle resistance exercises help support the muscles and joints around your bones, especially in important areas like the hips, legs, and spine. We customise each movement to your current ability and gradually build up from there.
- Postural correction and spine-friendly techniques: Poor posture can add pressure to bones and joints. We help you strengthen the muscles that support good posture and teach you spine-safe ways to bend, lift, and move through all of your daily tasks.
- Education on pacing, load tolerance, and daily habits: Knowing when to rest, how to safely carry items, or how to move through your home more easily can make all the difference. We provide simple, practical tips that fit right into your routine.
- Progress tracking and evolving plans: As your strength and balance improve, we adjust your plan to keep things moving forward. Every step is guided, monitored, and celebrated, so you can feel your progress and build on it with confidence.
Conditions We Treat
Our London home and work visit physiotherapists are highly experienced in assessing and treating a wide range of conditions, including but not limited to:
0204 570 2391- Post-surgical rehabilitation (knee, hip, shoulder, and spinal surgeries, as well as general surgical recovery)
- Age-related mobility issues, including falls prevention and balance training
- Chronic pain management (back pain, arthritis, and joint stiffness)
- Neurological conditions impacting mobility and coordination
- Post-hospital deconditioning and general rehabilitation to restore strength, balance, and independence
- All musculoskeletal realted injuries or pain
Frequently Asked Questions About Osteoporosis
1. Is it safe to exercise with osteoporosis?
Yes, it absolutely can be! In fact, the right kind of movement is one of the best ways to help support your bones. With Physit, every exercise is tailored to be safe, gentle, and effective. We focus on helping you build strength, improve balance, and move with more ease, all at a pace that suits both your comfort and confidence.
2. Can physiotherapy prevent fractures?
While no treatment can promise to prevent fractures entirely, physiotherapy plays a big role in lowering your risk. By improving your posture, building muscle strength, and enhancing your balance, we help reduce the chances of falls or movements that might otherwise lead to injury.
3. Do I need a scan before starting physiotherapy?
Not necessarily. If you’ve already had a scan or diagnosis, that’s helpful, but it’s not a barrier to getting started. We take the time to understand your symptoms, movement patterns, and history during your first visit, so we can create a safe, personalised plan, right from day one.
4. Do I need a referral to work with Physit?
No referral is needed. You can book directly with us for a full at-home assessment. From there, we’ll create a plan that’s specific to your goals, lifestyle, and level of comfort, and we’ll guide you through every step of the way.
Expert Physio for Stronger Bones and Safer Steps
Osteoporosis doesn’t have to hold you back from doing the things you love! With Physit, you get expert physiotherapy delivered right to your door, so you can stay active, supported, and steady on your feet, all from the comfort of home.
Whether your goal is to prevent falls, improve balance, ease stiffness, or simply move through your day with more confidence, we’ll work with you to build a plan that’s safe, effective, and completely customised to your needs. Every session is designed to help you feel stronger, more in control, and more comfortable doing the things you enjoy.
