Osteoporosis after broken ankle

I'd probably defer to your doctor on when you can start doing exercises that will promote bone health. While I took Fosamax years ago and still have residual improvement from that medication, yoga, walking and taking vitamin D and calcium supplements(not sure if these really help) have maintained and improved my bone density scores. Good luck and hope your ankle heals quickly!

Your doctor and a physiotherapist should be able to guide you on which exercises you can do safely with your healed fracture. Can you get your doctor to refer you for physical therapy? They'll do an assessment and work with you on exercises you can do.

This is what I did after my vertebral compression fracture. It took quite a few months but I am back to my pre-fracture workout routine and feeling stronger every day.

I got the referral today. I am going to start with physical therapist who specializes in osteoporosis. I am thinking about starting HRT to try to hold my numbers in place for a bit. I talked to PCP about it. She will prescribe it for me, but she does not know the dosing to promote bones and neither do I. I'm glad you are back to your prefracture routine. I still have a ways to go.

I have the prescription for 0.025 mg estradiol patch and progesterone. I felt pretty sure before, but now I'm feeling scared. I would like to hear from anyone who had success using HRT to prevent further deterioration with their T-Scores. Is this worth the risk? I am 57.

Thank you for your encouragement. I have an appointment with a physical therapist who specializes in osteoporosis, and I'm probably going to try HRT. It is all a bit overwhelming. It feels like starting with the broken ankle on January 1st, this year has only been pain, surgery, bad test results, and doctor visits.

You are at a good age to consider starting HRT, especially if you are within 10 years post-menopause. 0.05mg/day estradiol patch (or equivalent dose in other dosage form) is considered as the "standard" dose used for osteopenia and osteoporosis. However, some studies suggest that a lower dose - 0.025mg/day patch - can also be effective. A few members on this forum, myself included, are currently using this lower dose.

One way to gauge the effectiveness of HRT before your next DXA scan can be by testing bone turnover markers like CTX and P1NP. However, keep in mind that your CTX or P1NP levels might still be slightly elevated due to your recent ankle fracture.

In my case, I started HRT after completing Forteo. I've been monitoring bone markers and had a DXA scan 6mo after beginning HRT, which confirmed that the low dose was adequate for me and that my bmd remained stable (actually had further improvements).

In the absence of a secondary cause for osteopenia or osteoporosis, estrogen therapy is likely to prevent, or at least slow further bone loss. Past studies have shown an average improvement of 2-4% in bmd after 1-2 years of using transdermal estradiol.