Osteoporosis Treatment
Based on the International Osteoporosis Foundation, in the U.S. alone, osteoporosis and decreased bone mass affect approximately forty-four million females and males over the age of fifty.
Which is a whopping fifty-five % of all individuals aged fifty and older residing in the U.S. that is why problems related to lower bone mass now are believed to be a “major public health threat.”
Osteoporosis basically means “porous bones.”
A frightening fact about osteoporosis is that the condition is normally “silent,” developing over a long time but going unnoticed.
For many individuals, osteoporosis causes no apparent discomfort or symptoms (you cannot “feel” your bones weakening) until, ultimately, the individual affected encounters a bone fracture.
What’s the safest and best osteoporosis treatment? Natural osteoporosis treatments that could be extremely effective include getting plenty of exercises (especially doing resistance training), dealing with hormonal imbalances, stopping vitamin D deficiency, as well as consuming an “osteoporosis diet.”
Your diet plays a crucial role in bone health since it determines whether you are obtaining enough protein and important minerals and vitamins – especially calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and manganese that just about all be involved in bone development.
What Is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is identified as “a bone condition which occurs once the body loses an excess of bone, makes inadequate bone, or perhaps both.”
Osteoporosis is frequently seen in females over the age of fifty, though younger men and women can also develop this problem.
It is estimated that approximately one in 2 females (fifty percent) and as much as one in 4 males (twenty-five percent) over the era of fifty will break a bone at some point as a result of osteoporosis.
When looked at under a microscope, osteoporotic bones visibly include abnormal tissue structure.
Osteoporosis occurs when weakened areas or small holes are created in the bones, which can result in bone fractures (broken bones), bone pain, and often additional problems like a Dowager’s hump (abnormal outward curvature of the thoracic vertebrae of top of the back, causing the look of a hump).
How does osteoporosis compare to osteopenia?
Osteopenia is yet another condition connected with bone damage and weakened bones, but it is significantly less severe as osteoporosis is. Here is how Harvard Medical School clarify it:
BOTH CONDITIONS Actually are VARYING DEGREES OF BONE LOSS, AS MEASURED BY BONE MINERAL DENSITY, A MARKER FOR HOW STRONG A BONE Is actually As well as the RISK THAT It may BREAK. In case you Consider BONE MINERAL DENSITY Being a SLOPE, NORMAL Is AT THE TOP AND OSTEOPOROSIS At the end … OSTEOPENIA, WHICH AFFECTS ABOUT One half of AMERICANS OVER AGE fifty, WOULD FALL SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN.
Signs and Symptoms
Just how “serious” is osteoporosis regarding long term consequences in addition to symptoms?
This problem shouldn’t be taken lightly since broken and weak bones may be hard to cope with.
Bone breaks, or perhaps surgery required to repair fractured bones, may also sometimes cause permanent disability and life-threatening complications in older adults.
Breaks, like those due to falls or perhaps slips, also can limit independence and mobility, leading to psychological problems like depression and hopelessness.
When they do occur, the most common symptoms of osteoporosis include:Â (4)
- When they do happen, the most typical signs of osteoporosis include:
- Osteoporotic bone breaks. Fractures and breaks most often occur within the hip, spine, or perhaps wrist bones. They also impact the foot, knees, along with some other areas of the body.
- Limited mobility, difficulty getting around, and problems finishing daily activities.
- Many elderly adults who break a bone will need to live long term in nursing homes or perhaps will require assistance from help in the home.
- Bone pain, sometimes, which is intense and permanent.
- Loss of height.
- Hunched or perhaps stooped posture. This happens because the vertebrae, the bones on the back, can be weaker.
- Feelings of depression or even isolation.
- In seniors, increased risk of death. About twenty % of seniors that split a hip die within one year.
Causes and Risk Factors
Inactivity, or perhaps not enough exercise which enables you to maintain bone mass
Aging
Hormonal imbalances and changes, especially low levels of estrogen in females, and that is the cause of countless menopause symptoms.
Low amounts of testosterone in males also can reduce bone mass. Women have osteoporosis far more than males largely due to a decrease in stress hormones after menopause.
History of health conditions like autoimmune problems, pulmonary disease, kidney or perhaps liver diseases Long term use of specific medications, which includes proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), aromatase inhibitors, anti-seizure medications, fertility drugs/hormonal medications and steroids (corticosteroids or glucocorticoids).
Low vitamin D levels
Huge amounts of psychological stress and depression
Dietary deficiencies, particularly in minerals and vitamins which help develop bone, for example, calcium, phosphorus as well as vitamin K
Weight loss, dieting leads to serious calorie restriction as well as malnutrition. Being a female and more than the age of seventy are the 2 greatest risk factors for osteoporosis.
It is also easy to have osteoporosis or perhaps have problems with low bone density due to a variety of different health issues, which can deplete the body of nutrients and weaken bones in the long run.
Examples of health conditions that are risk factors for osteoporosis include:
- Breast or prostate cancer
- Diabetes
- Hyperthyroidism or perhaps hyperparathyroidism
- Cushing’s syndrome
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), multiple sclerosis, lupus, or perhaps ankylosing spondylitis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Thyrotoxicosis
- Hematologic blood disorders
- Female sports triad, irregular/absent times, or perhaps early menopause
- AIDS/HIV
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema
- Chronic kidney disease
- Liver disorders, which includes biliary cirrhosis
- Organ transplants
- Polio and post-polio syndrome
- Scoliosis
- Spinal cord injuries
Diagnosis
Doctors usually identify individuals with osteoporosis with a bone mineral density (BMD) test.
To conduct a BMD test, a unique printer measures bone mineral volume, which occurs in specific areas of bone, generally those placed in the hips, fingers, wrists, forearms, spine, or perhaps heels.
A dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA scan) is a typical method to do a BMD test.
Additional tests that can help verify a diagnosis include going for a patient’s history, performing an actual exam, blood, and urine testing to identify underlying problems, biochemical marker exams, x rays, and vertebral fracture assessments (VFAs).
One reason that the doctor of yours might suspect you’ve lost bone mass is whether your height is reduced since this usually occurs thanks to small fractures developing in the spinal column.
What’s the prognosis for a person with osteoporosis? For instance, just how long can you deal with osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis itself is generally not life-threatening, so it is certainly easy to live a long time with the state if you take measures to slow down its progression.
For instance, performing daily weight-bearing exercises can help develop bone mass gradually and bring down the risk of your complications as you get older.
Exactly how long does osteoporosis take to cure? Unless someone has a serious osteoporosis case, very low bone density can generally be stabilized and even improved. This takes no less than 6 to twelve weeks, and quite often even more time.
But despite therapy (including medications), bone mass generally doesn’t go back to normal after someone continues to be identified as having osteoporosis.
The aim would be to end bones from getting even weaker and avoid accidents, breaks, and falls.
Conventional Osteoporosis Treatment
Conventional osteoporosis treatment typically involves using medications, dietary changes, and exercise.
You will find various medications available that may help prevent bone loss; however, only a few types of suitable for most individuals.
The medication type that the doctor of yours will recommend is dependent on factors like the age of yours, gender, health background (for example, in case you’ve had cancer or perhaps an autoimmune disease), and underlying causes of bone damage (such as your lifestyle and diet).
- Bisphosphonates (most are suited for both females & males).
- Rank Ligand inhibitors (suitable for both females and males).
- Bisphosphonates are intended for females only, like Boniva.
- Parathyroid hormone-related protein agonists.
- Hormone replacement treatment (most are for females only). These may include estrogen agonist/antagonist (also known as picky estrogen receptor modulator (SERM)), or perhaps tissue-specific estrogen complex.
Natural Osteoporosis Treatment
Although it is best if osteoporosis is identified and cared for in the first stages of its, you can still take measures to control symptoms and help prevent the illness from developing.
Below are ways to help bone health and minimize symptoms as loss and pain of mobility.
1. Healthy Diet
Exactly what are the top foods to eat when you’ve osteoporosis?
Make it a high priority to eat adequate protein and food items that provide important nutrients, phosphorus, magnesium, especially calcium, manganese, and vitamin K (more on certain recommendations are available below).
About one half of your bones’ system is basically protein. Thus a low protein diet doesn’t support healing and also a high protein diet.
Nevertheless, it is essential to balance protein ingestion with mineral intake.
Just how much protein should you consume daily?
The suggested daily allowance for adults is between 0.8 grams per kg of weight each day, a maximum of approximately 1.0 grams/kg/day.
Great protein food items normally include grass-fed meat, wild-caught fish, pastured poultry and eggs, fermented yogurt and cheese, beans, seeds, nuts, in addition to legumes.
2. Physical Activity
Exercise is beneficial for people with osteoporosis for numerous reasons: it can help to create bone mass, improve flexibility and balance, reduce inflammation, relieve stress, and much more.
What exercises in the event you stay away from if you’ve osteoporosis? To be safe, stay away from all activities that require a lot of jumping, bending ahead from the waist, or even excessive twisting of the backbone.
Walking and other weight-bearing activities are ideal for supporting bone strength. Types of exercises which are recommended most for folks with lower bone density include:
- brisk walks (a treadmill might be best to avoid falls)
- using an elliptical
- swimming
- bodyweight exercises as squats and assisted push-ups
- yoga
- tai chi
- Pilates
You can use a chair, light weights, bands, wall, and tubes to help you.
Even gentler types of exercising are helpful; some scientific studies show that adults that practice tai chi have a forty-seven % decrease in falls and twenty-five % the hip fracture speed of people who do not.
In case you experience soreness and pain for over one or 2 days after exercising, this’s most likely not the appropriate exercise type for you.
Always speak with the physician of yours or perhaps a physical therapist if you are unsure of what style is best.
To enhance bone density, weight training workouts are essential. I recommend strength training, preferably 3 times every week, for no less than thirty mins at a time.
It is better to do “compound movements,” which strengthen many parts of the body simultaneously.
Examples of ingredients exercises include dumbbell presses, barbells, squats, dips, all kinds of push-ups, jumping rope, deadlifts, and pull-ups.
In case you are brand new to strength training, which seems intimidating, think about working with a personal trainer or perhaps attending group workout classes for help. (14)
I additionally suggest trying vibration platforms. You stand on one of those platforms for approximately 5 20 minutes every day to help naturally enhance bone density.
3. Help Prevent Falls
The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that every year about one-third of all individuals over age sixty-five will fall. Often, this can lead to a fracture/broken bone.
Below are steps you can take to reduce the risk of yours of falling and hurting yourself when at home or even out and about:
Try using a walker or perhaps cane if needed.
Get up gradually from sitting or perhaps lying down.
Keep your house properly lit, as well as make use of a flashlight when walking outside in the dark.
Put on sturdy, comfortable shoes which help you balance (sneakers, low heeled shoes with rubber bottoms, ones, flat shoes rather than heels, etc.)
Use handrails when offered to help you climb stairs.
Be cautious about walking on roads that are slippery or perhaps sidewalks after it has rained or snowed.
Stay away from walks on damp, slippery, highly polished tile, or perhaps marble.
Clean walking paths around your house, like by clearing the porch of yours, walkways, deck, and driveway.
Have a light outside the home.
Inside the house, place things you usually use within easy reach. Use assistive devices to help you stay away from straining, stooping, or perhaps injury. Make use of a sturdy step stool is required.
Think about wearing your own emergency response program (PERS) in case you live alone.
Get rid of all loose cables, cords, plus throw rugs. Keep floors and carpets totally free from the clutter that may make you trip.
Install grab bars in your shower/tub or perhaps bathroom walls.
Inside your kitchen, lay down non-skid mats or rugs.
Keep stairwells nicely lit.
Try never to hurry around in a hurry since this helps make falling more likely.
4. Essential OilsÂ
Putting essential oils topically on impacted areas and through consumption might improve bone density and aid bone maintenance or perhaps help with osteoporosis-related pain.
I suggest using essential oils like ginger, rosemary, sage, orange, and thyme oils topically approximately 3 times each day.
Mix several drops with a carrier oil, including coconut oil, and use it to the painful areas.
Other essential oils often recommended for osteoporosis may include wintergreen, eucalyptus, peppermint, helichrysum, fir, cypress, and lemongrass engine oil.
Furthermore, consider healing therapies like aroma touch, massage, and acupuncture to help lower stress.
5. Sunshine to increase Vitamin D Levels
Aim to get approximately twenty minutes of sun exposure on your empty skin every day, and that is the simplest way to stop a vitamin D deficiency.
To make adequate vitamin D, you have to expose huge areas of burns to sunlight with no sunscreen, but just for brief periods of time.
The darker the skin tone of yours, the more sunshine you will need to create adequate vitamin D.
Scientific studies also claim that older parents have a tougher time making vitamin D than younger folks, despite the same amount of sun exposure.
In case you reside in a chilly climate. You do not get outdoors very much (such as during the winter), or even if you are older than sixty, it is suggested you supplement with vitamin D3 to cover the basic vitamin dose.
6. Supplements
- Magnesium (500 mg daily) — Magnesium is required for proper calcium metabolism.
- Calcium (1000 mg daily) — Choose calcium citrate, which is best absorbed.
- Vitamin D3 (5,000 IU daily) — Vitamin D helps improve calcium absorption.
- Vitamin K2 (100 mcg daily) — Needed to form a protein critical for bone formation.
- Take a high-quality vitamin K2 to supplant or eat more vitamin K rich foods.
- Strontium (680 mg daily) — A metallic element that can help improve bone density. It’s found naturally in seawater, nutrient-rich soil, and certain foods, but most people need to supplement to get enough.
7. Discussing Medication Use With Your Doctor
In case you currently take steroids to treat an existing health condition like rheumatoid arthritis, allergies, Crohn’s condition, cancer, or perhaps lupus, you have to take extra precaution to exercise, eat a mineral-rich diet and quit smoking to be able to protect the bones of yours.
Common steroid medicines can consist of cortisone, dexamethasone (Decadron®), methylprednisolone (Medrol®), as well as prednisone.
Taking these medications for 3 plus months has been found to increase your risk of losing developing osteoporosis and bone mass.
While these drugs could be important to handle severe health conditions, you need to still talk to your physician about the best dose for you or perhaps possible alternatives based on the risk of yours for bone loss.
Osteoporosis Diet
What’s the perfect organic treatment for osteoporosis? A crucial component of osteoporosis treatment and prevention is consuming a nutrient-dense diet since the body needs a lot of minerals, especially magnesium and calcium, to protect the bones of yours.
The very best diet type to consume for bone health is a basic diet.
An alkaline diet can help balance ratios of nutrients essential for creating bones and preserving lean muscle mass, magnesium, including calcium and phosphate.
Alkaline diets also help improve the generation of growth hormones and vitamin D absorption, and they are both defensive of bones as you get older.
- Raw cultured dairy — Kefir, amasai, yogurt, and raw cheese contain calcium, magnesium, vitamin K, phosphorus, and vitamin D-rich foods, all of which are vital for building strong bones.
- Foods high in calcium — Calcium is an essential structural component of the skeleton, so that calcium deficiency can contribute to broken bones. Some of the best calcium sources include all dairy products, green vegetables (like broccoli, okra, kale, and watercress), almonds, and sardines.
- Foods high in manganese — Manganese is involved in the bone mass formation and helps balance hormones naturally. Some of the best sources include whole grains like teff, brown rice, buckwheat, rye, oats and amaranth, beans and legumes, macadamia nuts, and hazelnuts.
- Wild-caught fish – Osteoporosis may be related to chronic inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids found in certain fish help reduce inflammation. The best sources include wild salmon, sardines, anchovies, mackerel, and halibut.
- Sea vegetables – These vegetables are high in critical minerals for bone formation, plus they provide antioxidants that are supportive of overall health. Try to include algae, nori, wakame, agar, or kombu in your diet.
- Green leafy vegetables – Bones need vitamin K and calcium to stay strong, which green leafy vegetables are full of. Some of the best sources include kale, spinach, Swiss chard, watercress, collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, and escarole.
- Alkaline foods – Osteoporosis may be related to an acidic environment, so eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can help promote a more alkaline environment that prevents bone loss. The most alkaline foods are green vegetables, fresh herbs and spices, grapefruit, tomatoes, avocado, black radish, alfalfa grass, barley grass, cucumber, kale, jicama, wheatgrass, broccoli, cabbage, celery, beets, watermelon, and ripe bananas. One of the best things to have is green juices made from green vegetables and grasses in powder form, loaded with alkaline-forming foods and chlorophyll.
- Other quality proteins — Remember that in the elderly, diets too low in protein can impair bone health. However, very high-protein diets are not the healthiest either because they tend to be overly acidic, so striking a balance is important. Aim to eat a moderate amount of clean, high-quality proteins with every meal, such as grass-fed meat, wild-caught fish, pastured eggs and poultry, fermented cheese and yogurt, nuts, seeds, beans, and legumes.
What foods should you not eat if you have osteoporosis? The foods below can worsen bone loss and may contribute to low bone mass or osteoporosis:
- Too much alcohol – Increases inflammation that can lead to more calcium being leached from bones.
- Sweetened beverages – The high phosphorus content found in soda can remove calcium from bones. Sugar also increases inflammation.
- Added sugar – Increases inflammation, which can make osteoporosis worse.
- Processed red meat – A high intake of sodium and red meat may result in bone loss.
- Caffeine – Excessive caffeine intake can result in bone loss.
- It would help if you also avoid smoking, which worsens many chronic health conditions.
Precautions
Speak to your doctor instantly if you have a bone fracture, chronic bone discomfort, a worsening hunch in the back of yours, or perhaps repeat injuries.
You must address bone loss once you can since it generally just worsens with age.
Be sure to let your physician know about any conditions you might have handled in the past (an eating disorder, autoimmune state, etc.), the workout routine of yours, diet, along other risk factors.
Final Thoughts
- Osteoporosis is a bone condition that occurs once the body loses an excess of bone, makes inadequate bone, or perhaps both. This leads to weak bones as well as boosts the chance of bone breaks/fractures along with injuries.
- Causes of osteoporosis consist of aging, a poor diet, insufficient training, hormonal changes, caloric restriction, some medications, and a selection of health conditions like autoimmune, diabetes, and cancer diseases.
- Osteoporosis treatment typically involves physical exercise, a nutritious diet, supplements, and quite often medications.
- To help control osteoporosis symptoms, make sure to consume a mineral and protein-rich diet, avoid slips and slips, do weight-bearing exercises every day, get plenty of sunshine to produce vitamin D, and begin using essential oils and handle stress.
