Calcium and Vitamin D for bone density

Thanks, Teri. I'm going to get one and try it. At the least, it sounds like, we'll, fun or relaxing. It'll be great if your next DEXA shows improvement. And if it shows no change, that is improvement, reversing a trendline.

Yes it is a weight bearing exercise. When your feet his the surface it causes bone to get stronger. I am sure thre is a more scientific explanation but this is the simple version.

Thank you.

I agree, @callalloo. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Please let us all know. TU.

Margaret Martin, who does writing and videos on osteoporosis,addresses vibration machines on her Melio guide. I have been leery of such things because my spine is so fragile and that is a consideration. There are other contraindications as well. Apparently higher frequencies/magnitude are actually dangerous and can affect the brain, but at the frequencies/magnitude you are all using the machines are safe in that regard. Here is her post on vibration machines https://melioguide.com/osteoporosis-exercise-equipment/whole-body-vibration-therapy/

I would be scared of the effect on my spine fractures, migraines, and on my afib. as well as any potential dizziness/inner ear effects. Here is the content of Martin's post on contraindications (she also had a longer post on studies, regarding benefits as well as dangers):

Whole Body Vibration Therapy Plate Contraindications
Registered equipment manufacturers have identified a number of whole body vibration therapy contraindications and suggest that individuals who have one of the following conditions should not partake in WBV training:

Kidney or bladder stones.
Arrhythmia.
Pregnancy.
Epilepsy.
Seizures.
Cancer.
A pacemaker.
Untreated orthostatic hypotension.
Recent implants (joint/corneal/cochlear, etc.).
Recent surgery.
Recently placed intrauterine devices or pins.
Acute thrombosis or hernia, acute rheumatoid arthritis.
Serious cardiovascular disease.
Severe diabetes.
Migraines.
Among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), several adverse events were reported including pain, pressure sores on the feet, autonomic dysreflexia, and dizziness, which were largely attributed to the passive standing portion of the intervention.

Researchers at Lyndhurst Centre caution that Whole Body Vibration may elicit inner ear troubles, dizziness, headache, lower-limb spasticity, fracture (especially among those with severe osteoporosis), and/or hardware loosening (plates or screws as a result of surgery).(19)

A recent systematic review and meta-analysis on the effects of Whole Body Vibration on BMD in postmenopausal women concluded that Whole Body Vibration slows down bone loss at the hip (20) the benefits are similar to walking.

I take Citracal petites, half dose in morning and again at night. The rest of my calcium comes from low sodium cottage cheese, yougurt, and salmon with bones.

I was advised by a hospital dietitian not to take calcium supplements as they can cause calcium buildup in the arteries, and do not absorb as well as calcium in your food. I did an internet search and found a news release by E. D. Michos, M.D., Director of Women's Cardiovascular Health at Johns Hopkins, in which she advised against calcium supplements. Further searches came up with both for and against. I judge the most helpful summary of the controversy to be a Cleveland Clinic discussion, which cites Leslie Cho, M.D., Director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Women’s Cardiovascular Center. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-too-much-calcium-raise-your-heart-attack-risk

This is an old post, and since you were scheduled to see an osteoporosis specialist, by now you most certainly have been tested for Vitamin D deficiency. I just want to comment that insurance companies do not pay for Vitamin D tests UNLESS there is a diagnosis of Vitamin D deficiency, and it is never included in a Comprehensive Metabolic Panel. If anyone is wanting a test, perhaps you should request it and advise the doctor to show a diagnosis of "suspected Vitamin D deficiency." That should be enough to get your insurance to pay for it. A number of years ago, I was advised to take 5,000 units Vitamin D just because that's "what most people need." At the time I was walking daily in full sun and taking a calcium supplement. My calcium test went off the chart, and I had to quit both D and calcium. Several years later my lifestyle and location changed, and I decided to test for Vitamin D, a test my doctor at the time thought was unnecessary. I paid for my own test using an internet-based testing service called Canary Club, which showed a deficiency. Because of my previous experience, I began taking a small dose and gradually increased it after each test that showed I was still deficient. I am currently at 4,800 units and test as low normal. So I will go ahead and increase to 5,000 units, since that is available in a single standard capsule. Since that first test showing deficiency, insurance has covered my annual Vitamin D test. My current doctors all think annual testing is a good idea.

According to my doctors ans sheet logic, of course it is. Your legs are 'bearing' the full weight of your body with every step. Wearing a weighted vest, or carrying something heavy, can recall certain the load on other muscles but, if the person is also walking, the legs are bearing the weight. When I first started reading about osteoporosis, I came upon a study as to why professional cyclists tend to have early-onset, and severe, osteoporosis. The conclusion was that they frequently run a calorie deficit to lower body weight. And they spend training time on cycles. So they don't have body fat, thus also lower estrogen, to help bone health. And their lean frames are insufficient to make walking a good weight-bearing exercise.