Osteopenia

[Greenginger12]

What advice would you give about employment and osteopenia?

[HearYou]

Would you please explain what type of work and appears osteopenia has not progressed to OP; please provide more info on what is happening that you are asking the relationship between osteopenia and work. Your post is very general.

[Greenginger12 in reply to HearYou]

I work in the health care industry i have osteopenia in the neck& hip , in relation to employment law would i have to end my employment contract with my employer? At this stage i have not got OP.

[yogalibrarian in reply to Greenginger12]

Given the number of postmenopausal (and premenopausal) women with osteopenia, that seems unnecessary. If we all left our jobs it would be a major impact on the labor pool.

I've been in the oseopenia range for 15+ years (I'm almost 70). My job as an archivist means that I still get up on ladders, move heavy boxes, and somtimes lift the boxes over my head while standing on a ladder. (Yes, that could be scary and/or dangerous....)

My hip and spine had been relatively stable - in thye mild osteopenia range - for years. But the spine has shown a decline over the last 3 years. It's still in the osteopenia range but edging closer to osteoporisis. (I'm beginning to reconsider ladders and heavy boxes.)

My suggestions for you to consider when making a decision. (Note: these are my considerations, you might have different ones.)

* Has your doctor suggested that you give up a healthcare occupation or advised any cautions?

* Have you already had a fracture?

* Where is your greatest risk? Hip or spine or both? It sounds like your area of greatest risk is the hip not the spine.

* What do you do in your job and how does that relate to the area of risk? For example, many of my yoga students who are retired nurses have back problems related to the dangers of moving patients. So a nurse, who helps patients transfer (bed to chair, etc.), with osteopoenia/osteoporosis in the spine might find that a red flag.

* If your osteopenia is in the hip, your greatest risk might be from a fall. Are there things you do in your job that put you at risk of a fall?

* Fractures happens when the load on the bones exceeds their strength. That can happen from a fall or an accident; for example, hip and wrist fracutres. Or they can happen when the load exceeds the strength; for example, some (but not all) vertebral fractures. Vertebral fractures can also happen from falls.

* What can you do to minimize your risk of a fall that might cause a fracture? I suggest exercise that improves your strength (particularly leg strength) and balance.

** Check the CDC physical activity guidelines: health.gov/paguidelines/sec....

** Some things you might include: walking (leg strength and stamina), yoga or tai chi (leg strength and balance), weights, resistance bands, machines (strength).

** Pay attention. Many people fall because they are not paying attention. I had a minor fall a couple of years ago because I was looking at the waves on the beach not the black ice in the parking lot.

** Have vision checked. Review your meds with the doctor or pharmacist (are there meds or combinations that may impair your balance?). Clean up the clutter at home or at work that might be a trip hazard.

One of the chief predictors of falls in older adults is fear of falling. What can you do to increase your confidence? (I can still get up on ladders -- very carefully -- because I have good leg strength and really good balance -- and I'm mindful about falling -- but not afraid.)

Good luck.

P.S. When you say neck, do you mean femoral neck? (part of the hip) Doctors seem to be really bad about explaining that.

[Greenginger12 in reply to yogalibrarian]

Hello

Thank you for your reply.

In my job role i sumtime lift clients from sitting to standing postion and vice versa

Ap spine -0.9

Hip -2.0 on the T score

[HearYou in reply to Greenginger12]

You live in GB, right? Am retired attorney in US. Does not affect your employment in US and an employer would provide reasonable accommodation under ADA if your condition begins to affect your " non-essential" work performance. If someone else can trade off with your " lifting to standing" etc. of patients, that would be an easy "reasonable accommodation" here. ADA is the US federal law. (American Disability Act). Wish you many healthy years ahead.