Wolff’s Law And How Your Bones Grow

Are you looking for tips on keeping your bones strong and healthy?

It’s a strange thing to think about.

It’s easy to forget that our bones still change throughout adulthood.

But believe it or not, your bones continue “remodeling” and strengthening even after you’re done growing.

This is called Wolff’s Law.

The opposite is also true, though.

People who don’t exercise enough are at greater risk of bone weakening.

Wolff’s Law tells us how to keep our bones strong and help them recover from injury or damage, like with osteopenia or osteoporosis.

If you’re interested in rebuilding your bone strength, our Washington DC physical therapy clinic can help.

In particular, our orthopedic physical therapists can help you recover from injury and rebuild your bone strength.

But for now, let’s talk more about Wolff’s Law and how it can benefit your health.

What Is Wolff’s Law?

Wolff’s Law is a part of bone theory.

It describes the relationship between stress and bone health.

We get the name from a 19th century German anatomy surgeon named Julius Wolff.

We think of bones as hard, solid objects that don’t really change once you’re done growing, unless they’re injured, or you have a disease like osteoporosis or osteoarthritis.

But this isn’t true.

Your bones are constantly adapting and changing.

RELATED: Frequently Asked Questions About Your Bones

We call this process “remodeling”.

According to a 2023 article by Rowe et al., remolding helps your body reabsorb old or damaged bone tissue and replaces it with new tissue.

Two types of bone cells, osteoclasts and osteoblasts, help this process.

Osteoclasts absorbs damaged and old bone tissue.

Then, a different type of cell called an osteoblast creates new bone tissue in place of the old.

Wolff’s Law tells us how stress alters the bones in your body.

When your bones experience an increase in pressure, osteoblasts work on making your bones stronger to meet these new demands.

This can happen with things like:

• Weight bearing activities
• Weight shifting activities
• Weight gain
• Strength training
• High intensity aerobic activities
• Running and gait training activities

RELATED: Physical Therapy For Sports & Running Injuries

Your bones will also react to a decrease in stress.

For instance, people who spend too much time sitting or lying down typically have reduced muscle activity.

As a result, they’re at a greater risk of bone weakening.

Newton’s Third Law of Motion helps explain this process.

In case your memory of science class is a little hazy, that means “for every action in nature, there is an equal and opposite reaction”.

Your body withstands more forces whilst standing or walking than it does sitting or lying down.

However, your body’s structural system, otherwise known as your skeleton, can only withstand that force if it’s strong enough.

Your body is efficient; it devotes resources to areas that actually need them.

People who spend more time upright are signaling to their body to maintain bone strength.

In contrast, people who spend more time seated or lying down are giving their body the signal that strength isn’t as important.

Wolff’s Law And Osteoporosis

You may have heard of osteoporosis and the issues it can pose as it worsens.

RELATED: Frequently Asked Questions About Osteoporosis

It makes your bones less dense and more porous.

This makes them more fragile, and thus more susceptible to fractures.

Often this happens because your body is losing bone mass faster than it can create new bone tissue.

Osteoporosis is a common disorder.

The CDC says 18.8% of women over 50 and 4.2% of men over 50 have it in their femur, neck, or spine.

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Fortunately, physical therapy exercises can help.

According to a 2018 study by Benedetti Et Al., physical exercise can help stimulate bone growth in osteoporosis patients.

Wolff’s Law emphasizes the importance of strength building exercises, especially ones that help your bones strengthen over time.

Strength training improves bone strength because muscles anchor to and move bone.

In other words, when muscles activate, they put pressure onto your bones, which they in turn must match.

Fortunately for us, strengthening muscles also strengthens the bones surrounding those muscles without any extra work.

This can help counter the effects of osteoporosis, keeping your body healthy and strong.

RELATED: Physical Therapy For Osteoporosis

Wolff’s Law And Healing From Broken Bones

Exercises that help build muscle typically also strengthen your bone density.

But how does this work with a broken or fractured bone?

Wolff’s Law also gives us tips for recovering from a broken bone or fracture.

If you’re controlling the “stress” your bones experience as you recover, you can build up their strength and contribute to their healing.

So, just sitting around with a broken leg isn’t actually the best thing for you.

RELATED: Physical Therapy For Ankle And Foot Injuries

Instead, a Capitol Therapy physical therapist can help show you ways to control the stress on your bones and exercises that build up their strength.

How Does Wolff’s Law Relate To Physical Therapy?

Wolff’s Law is a useful tool in injury prevention.

RELATED: Physical Therapy For Fall Prevention

This is because of the focus on strengthening your bones.

Physical therapy uses gentle exercises that help you maintain your strength and mobility.

It can also help restore your strength after a health issue.

You may see a physical therapist after an injury, accident, or surgery, or when you’ve encountered a serious health concern to help you gradually build up your previous mobility and strength.

RELATED: Physical Therapy After A Car Accident

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Our wellness programs here at Capitol Physical Therapy are a great example of such programs.

Your physical therapist will use Wolff’s Law as a guiding principle in your recovery.

For instance, your physical therapist might start you on a weight bearing exercise routine.

They’ll look to Wolff’s Law as a tool to help gradually increase the difficulty of your exercise until you can fully support your injured area on your own again.

Does Wolff’s Law Always Apply?

Wolff’s Law is not universally applicable.

This is because it’s not describing a singular process in your body, but rather many different interconnected processes that happen in your bones.

Bones can strengthen in ways other than just strengthening your muscles.

For example, changes in bone geometry can redistribute your bone mass or density.

The way your bones change and grow is not always predictable.

The strain your bones experience and the angle at which this strain occurs plays a big role.

That said, Wolff’s Law encourages you to strengthen and train your entire body, which has health effects that reach far beyond just your bones.

Book Your Appointment With Capitol Physical Therapy Today

Have you recently experienced an injury?

Are you at risk of osteoporosis and want to avoid developing it?

Or have you already received a diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis?

If so, at Capitol Physical Therapy, we can help.

We offer a variety of solutions that can help your specific needs.

We also gladly accept numerous insurance plans for your convenience.

Book your appointment with Capitol Physical Therapy today.