Payal Sahni, MPT, DPT
I am a physical therapist by profession. Over the last 20 years, I have worked with various orthopedic diagnoses. I have been, and will always be, an advocate for prevention and wellness.
In 2008, I was introduced to the New York State Osteoporosis Prevention and Education Program, which has been housed at Helen Hayes Hospital since 1997. At that time, I was invited to be a part of a bone health seminar to talk about posture. I wanted my presentation to be evidence based, hence I started to look for more information regarding posture, exercise and nutrition guidelines for people with osteoporosis. And, to my surprise, there were not that many available. The more I read about osteoporosis, I realized how little we know in the rehabilitation world about this disease and its treatment.
From there, I went on to develop an Osteoporosis Exercise Program, which was based on a research study conducted at Helen Hayes Hospital. I also realized that more information needs to be included in physical therapy curricula about management of osteoporosis. I am currently working on a project to assess the knowledge and confidence of physical therapy students in assessment and rehabilitation of people with osteoporosis.
My personal mission is to educate our communities that osteoporosis is not a disease of old age. As much as we need to take care of our bone health after 50, it is equally important for us to educate parents and children about taking care of the skeleton during growing years. There is a lot to be done. I feel honored to be associated with an organization like National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), to be able to receive a direction from like-minded people. NOF has helped me to extend my advocacy for bone health well outside of New York State.
NOF relies on volunteers across the country to help us provide support to the millions affected by osteoporosis. Whether you’d like to connect with fellow osteoporosis patients or get more involved to help those suffering from the disease, we have resources available to help you. Learn about how you can join our online community, start or join an NOF Support Group, join the Ambassadors Leadership Council or find an osteoporosis event happening in your own community. Visit nof.org/patients/patient-support to learn more.