Osteoporosis Treatment Basics

Osteoporosis-not much good we can say about osteoporosis (OP). I wouldn't bother to bring it up if I didn't have any ideas about how to lower your risk of osteoporotic bones and resulting fractures that easily lead to early death.

Osteoporosis Is A Huge Public Health Problem

First let's talk about the magnitude of the problem. Both sexes are subject to osteoporosis. Often the defining event of osteoporosis is fracture but by definition only a decrease in bone mass to the point that fracture is becoming more likely is good enough.

Now for some numbers: 1.5 million fractures per year are attributed to OP. These include: 700,000 vertebral, 250,000 distal forearm and 300,000 fractures of other limb sites. Following a hip fracture the mortality rate is 10-20% over the next six months. 50% of those with osteoporotic hip fractures will need assistance to walk and 25% will require long term assisted living care. Not a good outcome.

Death Is the Cheapest Part of Osteoporosis

The cost of OP treatment in the U.S. is about $10-20 billion. Yes, that is billion with a "B".

Not Much Natural Help to Offer 25 years Ago

I remember giving a talk at a senior citizen center in Santa Cruz some 20 some years ago. Facts like you see above aren't that hard to come by. But the question comes, "what do we do about it?" What I didn't have at that time were good suggestions for these people on how to handle their own OP other than the usual exercise and calcium supplements.

Basic Rundown of Medical Options

You already know the medical answer. Take one or a combination of the 40+ medications formulated to increase bone density directly and/or from hormone support.

These drugs are often in the category of bisphosphonates and include Fosamax (alendronate), Boniva (ibandronate), Actonel (risedronate) and Reclast (zoledronic acid).

Another type is Prolia or Xgeva (denosumab) that is an antibody therapy to help slow bone resorption or breakdown.

Estrogen therapy is sometimes recommended for peri to post-menopausal women. Sometimes parathyroid hormone is used to help build bone due to its role in calcium metabolism. Also thyrocalcitonin is sometimes used to help regulate calcium.

Typical Negative Effects of the Drug Approach

But before we get too excited about the drug approach, let's review some of the reported bad effects.

The bisphosphonates are famous for: acid reflux, nausea, stomach pain and loss of bone in the jaw. Our dentist neighbor when we lived in Aptos, CA told us that a patient on of these drugs was no longer a candidate for many dental repairs as the quality of the jaw bone was typically very poor. Of course, anything that interrupts normal gastric digestion will cause a whole host of other problems as you will probably end up taking an acid blocker that can lead to an increase probability of kidney disease and dementia. Let's not forget the atypical femur fractures. These aren't super common but this type of complication indicates that people should look for alternatives to avoid these potentially dangerous events.

The denosumab treatments can lead to: skin irritation, muscle stiffness, increased pain, muscle spasms, fatigue, excessive sweating and even bone fractures. The fatigue indicates to me that this class of drugs can affect the brain.

Hormone therapy can have negative effects such as: stroke, heart attack, breast cancer and blood clots.

Natural Treatment for OP is Available

My advice today is different than it was at the time of that community center talk. Of course, some weight bearing exercise is still part of the equation so that might require some change in your lifestyle routine. I also recommend a whole body vibrator along with exercise. A whole body vibrator is a gadget you stand on with your feet slightly spread apart and it vibrates your legs, hips and low back. This therapy targets some the most critical areas of concern with OP. We have a Noblerex K1 in our house. This is a simple oscillation machine. The newer ones are dual motion and are considered to be an improvement. The older oscillation machines did work so you might be able to pick one of these up for a reduced cost.

Gluten Can Be a Serious Factor

Another lifestyle change could include a gluten-free diet (GFD). Gluten related antibodies can sometimes attack bone tissue. In my clinic practice I have seen OP reverse just by changing to a GFD. I have written a lot about gluten and OP in other blogs at OVitaminPro.com. Some researchers maintain that anybody with OP should be checked for gluten sensitivity. I agree.

Take Your Vitamin D3

Of course, you should be taking your D3. You might need 5000 IU or more per day to maintain your D3 levels at a healthy level. You aren't going to be able to push bone growth with massive amounts of calcium in a supplement. We usually recommend some calcium lactate for that need. A company called Zycal makes OP specific supplements called Ostinol. I would certainly add one of these to your daily routine. Ostinol comes in different strengths so choose the stronger one for more severe problems.

Strontium Can Help

I am also going to recommend taking a supplement called Strontium Citrate for maybe six months to a year. We have several brands to choose from including Pure Encapsulations, Douglas Labs and Vital Nutrients. We recommend strontium as the body actually has an easier time using strontium than calcium to build bone tissue. Long term benefits of strontium supplementation have not been determined and you will get a false increase of maybe 10% in DEXA scores without actual increase in bone mass. So keep that in mind with your next bone density study. Strontium used in combination with the GFD and whole body vibrator and Vitamin D supplementation can push your bone density in the right direction for a change, however.

Zahler has a product with vitamin D, vitamin C, Vitamin K2, calcium, magnesium and of course, strontium. Advanced Nutrition by Zahler BoneFactor

Test, Treat and Retest

DEXA scans aren't universally loved but I think this information is still better than nothing. You should at least be able to monitor your progress in treating your condition. So get a good DEXA scan, start a gluten-free diet, get on your whole body vibrator every day, take your supplements and recheck in a year. You should see a nice change that will really make you feel good.