What helps improve osteoporosis without medication?

Posted by imatine @imatine, Dec 4, 2020

Hello, did anyone here try to heal from osteoporosis away from all the prescribed medications we all know of? Did you try following a specific diet? Excercise? Meditation, etc. ? Thank you

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@candy209

I have heard of many ladies improving quite a bit from yoga. Specific yoga exercises done carefully can help. We also need 85 to 100 grams of quality protein in order to get enough of the amino acids and nutrition to build bone. I saw an episode about osteoporosis by Dr. Mark Hyman who talked about his patient doing yoga and improving her numbers dramatically. I see a functional nutritionist via zoom who works with him. He believes food is medicine. He is a well known board certified functional med and internal med docotor.

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Yoga had been so wonderful to help with my balance and flexibility. Dr Loren Fishman has a 12 pose study that his studies shows bone improvement. You can see various instructions on YouTube. Plus Dr Fishman has his own videos with talks on the program and how to do the poses. Well worth your time!
Stay well

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@candy209

She is really amazing. Food is so critical with bones. Dr. Mc Cormick even told me that if some patients had a hard time taking meds he would have them change their diets and eat healthy for a year and then they tried meds again and did fine. Your body needs to be well fed and ready.
This is her website. She is worth every penny.
Eileenbotte.com

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What is the correct website for the dietician? I googled her name… Eileenbotte. com but could not find her. Thanks!
Shula

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Please clarify the name Eileen Botte.
I cannot find her name online.
Thanks!
Shula

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@shula

Please clarify the name Eileen Botte.
I cannot find her name online.
Thanks!
Shula

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There is a registered dietician named Eileen Bote in MA.

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@normahorn

There is a registered dietician named Eileen Bote in MA.

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Thanks! The original spelling of her name was incorrect.
I found her online.
Appreciate your reply.
Shula

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@sueinmn

Here are the common themes on a variety of sites like NIH, National Osteoporosis Foundation, WebMD, Harvard Health:

It is difficult, but possible to improve bone strength, easier to stop loss.

The best non-drug treatments for slowing/stopping progress of osteoporosis are:
- Good diet with adequate protein (huge issue for older women, who tend to consume too little).
- Adequate levels of Calcium, Magnesiun, Vitamin K, Vitamin D3 & Zinc.
- Weight bearing exercise (walking, power walking, weight-training, stair climbing.) Swimming and biking may be good for cardio, but not as good at promoting bone strength.
- Avoid excess caffeine & alcohol which may promote bone loss (ie more than 4 cups of coffee a day.
- Stop smoking.

Alternative therapies are not scientifically proven to work, or may have side effects and should be discussed with your doctors, these include: red clover, soy, black cohosh, and other herbal supplements.

Finally, in addition to the traditional medications like Fosamax, there are now some biologics available which my be appropriate and less difficult to tolerate.
Sue

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HELLO, I am new here. What are biologics?
ladydi22

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@ladydi22

HELLO, I am new here. What are biologics?
ladydi22

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@ladydi22 it is anabolics, not biologics. Anabolics are the bone-building drugs like Forteo and Tymlos. Evenity is both anabolic and anti-resorptive.

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Has anyone used Low Intensity Vibration (LIV) https://www.marodyne.us/marodyne-liv/ to build bone vs. using pharmacology options with their potential side effects?
I have severe osteoporosis of the spine and about to start with Evenity.

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I am new to this group and happy to find others who are attempting to avoid meditations. I am in my eighties and afraid of the side effects listed for the medications and the reports that people have experienced. I asked my doctor for alternate plans to avoid medications, but the doctor only mentioned different medications. I was not asking for a cure or bone growth, just something like effective doses of vitamin supplements or physical therapy. The doctor had no suggestions. I was told by the doctor that the side effects I wanted to avoid were not the result of the medications but health problems people already had. I am glad this group has interests in pursuing ways to live with osteoporosis by trying to avoid medications or at least managing them.

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@myoldbones

I am new to this group and happy to find others who are attempting to avoid meditations. I am in my eighties and afraid of the side effects listed for the medications and the reports that people have experienced. I asked my doctor for alternate plans to avoid medications, but the doctor only mentioned different medications. I was not asking for a cure or bone growth, just something like effective doses of vitamin supplements or physical therapy. The doctor had no suggestions. I was told by the doctor that the side effects I wanted to avoid were not the result of the medications but health problems people already had. I am glad this group has interests in pursuing ways to live with osteoporosis by trying to avoid medications or at least managing them.

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Some of us have fractured and will suffer just about any side effects to take medications, but as it turns out, many of us can tolerate a medication at some point, without significant problems. Drug companies are required to list side effects, and those who do suffer significant ones are more likely to post here.

If osteoporosis is not severe and there are no fractures, Dr. Keith MCCormick's books are very helpful. He wrote "The Whole Body Approach to Osteoporosis" and more recently "Great Bones," which has a lot of info about meds. I hope the non-medication route works well for you but I post here because I delayed meds and now have 7 spinal fractures- life changing pain and disability.

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