OSTEO?

By Brigid Drysdale 2025

Osteoarthritis, Osteopenia, Osteoporosis.

Osteo- Pertaining to Bone.

Arthritis- Inflammation in one or more joints causing pain and stiffness that can worsen with age.

Penia- lack or deficiency of some body constitute.

Porosis- a condition of being porous, or full of holes.

Osteoblasts- cells that form new bones, heal and grow existing bones.

Osteoclasts-cells which dissolve and break down old or damaged bone cells.

Osteocytes-maintain bone tissue and monitor stress on bones.

Osteopenia is a precursor to osteoporosis. It is when the bone density becomes lower than the

average persons.

Osteoporosis is when a loss of bone density happens and the bones become fragile and brittle. At

the serious end of the scale this means any mild stress on the bones can cause a fracture or break,

such as coughing or bending over. The most common sites of a break are in the wrists, hips or spine.

Bone is made up of living tissue called the bone matrix. When we are young, our osteoclasts break

down and eat the damaged cells within our bones, and the osteoblasts replace them with new cells.

Osteoclasts are like a demolition team, making room for the osteoblasts to rebuild in the areas that

have been cleaned out.

As we get older this process slows down and the osteoblasts have a harder time keeping up with the

osteoclasts. Hence the bones do not get rebuilt as quickly and become weakened. Women after

menopause are 4 times more likely to have a break than men. This is due to the loss of oestrogen

during perimenopause and menopause. Another contributing factor is genetics. So, if your mother

or father had a fracture in their hip, or shrunk as they got older, then you are at a high risk of

developing this issue. Other contributing factors are lifestyle, dietary, and the use of medications.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint condition, where by the joint becomes inflamed, stiff, and

painful. Cartilage is a protective cover over the end of the bones in a joint. It becomes worn to the

point where it can feel as though the bones are grating on each other. Most commonly, there is a

loss of flexibility, swelling caused by the soft tissue in the surrounding area, and bone spurs which

are extra bits of bone growth, which can also form, causing reduced movement within the joint.

The most common joints affected are the hands, knees, hips and spine. The damage cannot be

reversed, but the symptoms can be managed.

For both of these issues, Yoga can help strengthen the muscles, increase the range of motion,

flexibility and stability in affected joints. It also develops your awareness, allowing the student to

become more mindful of how they are moving, so they are less likely to trip and fall. With

osteoporosis, yoga can also focus on weight bearing, as this can help to increase the density of the

bones.

With a yoga student that has either issue, I have found it is better to work with reptations, rather

than long holds.

A Yoga sequence for Osteoarthritis and Osteoporosis working to the ability of the student in front of

you.

Supta Baddha Konasana fully supported with a bolster for the spine length ways, blocks under the

knees, blanket for the head.

Suyra Namaskara using a chair into the wall, adding in utkatasana and high lunges x 2 of each.

Prasarita Padottanasana resting head and arms on chair.

Tadasana gripping a block between the thighs.

Vrksasana back into the wall for support or

Utthita Pandangusthasana 2 with a bent knee and the foot on the chair seat, back to the wall for

support.

Uttansana resting buttocks on the wall, support arms on chair.

Urdhva Hastasana arms up the wall.

Utthita Trikonasana, Virabhdrasana 2, Ardha Chandrasana using a trestle, depending if they are tired

or sore, either do all or choose one.

Bharadvajasana 1 seated on a chair.

Bharadavajasana 2 seated on a chair.

Setubandha Sarvangasana/ Chatuspadasana on the floor rolling up and down, holding in the full

pose for 5-10 secs.

Resting flat on the floor

Supta Padangusthasana 1-2

Anantasana

Savasasana with a bolster or chair under the legs.

In Mr Iyengars book, The Path To Holistic Health, page 328 to page 338, Mr Iyengar has sequences

for osteoarthritis for the shoulders, elbows, wrists and fingers, hips, knees and ankles. There is also

a sequence on cervical spondylosis, which is another form of osteoarthritis in the neck. It is

degenerative disease caused by the wear and tear on the vertebrae (page 326).

The sequences all create space in the surrounding joints, helping to reduce pain by taking pressure

off the surrounding tissue, and increasing range of movement.

“Anything physical is always changing, therefore, its reality is not constant, not eternal.” B.K.S.

Iyengar.

Resources: www.mayoclinic.org, my.clevelandclinic.org,