The Healthy Alternative to Osteoporosis Drugs
Why Should Prescription Osteoporosis Drugs Be Avoided?
The majority of prescribed pharmaceuticals for osteoporosis are referred to as bisphosphonates, which include Actonel, Boniva, Didronel, and Fosamax. Bisphosphonates "work" by inhibiting the breakdown of old bone tissue, thereby halting bone loss.
The problem is that this "old bone tissue," or "brittle bone" as it's commonly called, is supposed to be removed on a regular basis. So these bisphosphonate drugs actually prevent the normal breakdown of fragile bone tissue, which does slow bone loss but does not offer increased bone strength. In many cases just the opposite!
Until older, more fragile bone tissue is torn down, it cannot be replaced with strong, healthy bone. Testing for bone mineral density can be misleading since it does not indicate the strength of bone, only its density. Hence, using bisphosphonate drugs may lead to a better bone density score while increasing the risk of bone fragility. The result is an expensive drug that may cause more harm than good.
Side Effects Can be Unpleasant and Even Dangerous
In addition to problems with actual efficacy, there isn't sufficient evidence to ensure the long-term safety of these drugs. Known side-effects are severe heartburn, esophageal damage and pain, kidney problems, infertility, diarrhea, constipation, fever, low calcium, magnesium deficiency, vitamin D deficiency, flatulence, rash, headache.
More serious side effects include severe bone, joint, and muscle (musculoskeletal) pain.
Finally, a rare yet disturbing side effect of bisphosphonate drugs is osteonecrosis of the jaw, which is an extremely painful decay of jaw bone tissue.
Other Problematic Osteoporosis Drugs
Ralaxifene
Raloxifene is a synthetic form of estrogen and is technically referred to as a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM). The premise with this drug is to offer the bone loss prevention benefits of estrogen.
While these synthetic estrogens do not cause the same problems as bisphosphonates, there are plenty of side effects, which include hot flashes, leg cramps, increased risk of blood clots in the veins, pain, rash, sweating, gastrointestinal problems, endometrial problems, fluid retention, weight gain, muscle pain, sinusitis, pneumonia, laryngitis, flu syndrome, headache, and conjunctivitis.
Calcitonin Salmon
Calcitonin Salmon and other brands, such as Calcimar, Salmonine, and Miacalcin, are thyroid hormones that slow the loss of bone, though the efficacy is limited and diminishes over time.
Side-effects include back pain, respiratory problems, high blood pressure, angina, rapid heartbeat, irregular heartbeat, hyperthyroidism, numbness, insomnia, flu-like symptoms, anxiety, dizziness, headaches, vision disturbances, swollen lymph glands, nausea, loss of appetite or increased appetite, dry mouth, diarrhea, rash, increased sweating, and tinnitus.
The Healthy Fixx for Osteoporosis
Bone Loss and fragile bones are not caused by people having too few drugs in their systems, but rather that the body is lacking a natural substance, such as vitamin K2 or magnesium.
The key thing to remember is that bone strength is more important than bone density. A person can have a good bone density score and still be susceptible to fractures and breaks if the integrity of the bone is very poor.
Increase Your Bone Strength with Vitamin K2
An essential factor for building strong bone tissue involves a hormone called osteocalcin. Osteocalcin promotes osteoblasts, which are cells that create bone. Vitamin K2 is an essential co-factor for osteocalcin and can increase bone formation through steroid and xenobiotic receptors. In this fashion Vitamin K2 increases levels of osteocalcin, thereby improving the collagen matrix in bone and providing increased strength. [1]
Boost Your Calcium Uptake with Magnesium
Magnesium regulates calcium transport, and a large calcium intake without the proper amount of magnesium can result in soft tissue calcification while not correcting bone loss issues. In fact, research has shown that a magnesium deficiency is very common in women with osteoporosis compared to those without. [2]
More evidence of magnesium's importance can be found in a 1990 study consisting of 26 post-menopausal patients split into two groups, one containing 7 patients and the other 19. The first group was treated using dietary advice alone while the second received both calcium and magnesium. At the end of 12 months the first group had a mean bone mineral density increase of 0.7% while the group supplementing with magnesium experienced an 11% increase. [3]
To understand the proper amount of magnesium supplementation, see our plan on getting the essential minerals.
Stimulate Bone Growth Using Whole Body Vibration Therapy
A fitness machine called the Power Plate uses the power of gravitational forces to naturally increase bone growth and strength. The Power Plate also distributes vibrations throughout the body, accelerating and magnifying the same contraction and relaxation muscle reflexes that are used when performing traditional weight training exercises. This action stimulates the growth of bone from fat tissue and helps increase lean body mass and strength.
In 2004, a 6-month study of 90 post-menopausal women examined hip bone density between Power Plate users and a control group performing regular resistance exercises. The results were a 0.93% increase in Power Plate users vs. a 0.51% to 0.62% decrease in the resistance training group. [4]
Power Plate is available at some gymnasiums and may also be purchased for home use. See the Power Plate website for more information.
If the Power Plate is unavailable at your gym and too expensive for home use, rebounders have been shown to produce similar results.
References
[1]. Nutr Rev. 2011 Mar;69(3):162-7.
[2]. Brodowski J, Levels of ionized magnesium in women with various stages of postmenopausal osteoporosis progression evaluated on the basis of densitometric examinations. Przegl Lek, vol. 57, no. 12, pp. 714-716, 2000.
[3]. The Journal of Reproductive Medicine Vol. 35 No. 5, May 1990
[4]. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. Vol. 19(3), pp: 352-359. 2004
The information presented is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure disease. Please speak with your doctor before starting any diet, exercise, or supplement program.
Comments (4)
http://qibounding.com/index.html this seems to be better...what do you think?
@tud I think the primary benefit of rebounding is the G forces that the body is subjected to when bouncing, so I'm not sure that breathing would do anything more to help the bones. It may be better for overall health though.
The rebounder that i linked seems to be a better quality one...i didn't say anything about breathing
I saw this on the website you posted and thought you were recommending more than just bouncing.
"But QiBounding offers the practitioner even greater benefits than Rebounding through its incorporation of breath awareness and focus on the circulation of Qi energy."
The one you posted looks good but is also pretty expensive at $900 for the premium version.
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