Osteoporosis Treatment

Osteoporosis begins when bones lose mineral content such as calcium as well as other vital nutrients. The bone mass as a result is lessened and bones become brittle and easily broken. The disease is usually discovered when the person breaks a bone. Broken arms and legs, while serious, aren’t as severe as when bones such as the hip and spine are broken. These will also lead to a lengthy hospital stay, permanent disability, and possibly death. The disease mostly afflicts the elderly and women who have passed menopause. In fact, women are five times more likely to get the disease at some point in their lives than are men. While there is no specific cure for the problem, there are osteoporosis treatments available that can improve your condition and help to keep the worst from happening.

Hormone therapy

The most common osteoporosis treatment used to be hormone therapy. Nowadays there are other treatments available however, and this is starting to be avoided more as it has certain risks involved. Most of the complications with it have involved the oral type of hormone therapy, so discuss which options are available to you with your primary care physician.

Medications

Medications are a common form of osteoporosis treatment that you may want to look into. These include: Bisphosphonates, Raloxifene, Calcitonin, Teriparatide, and Tamoxifen. Bisphosphonates inhibit bones from breaking down, preserve bone mass, and increase bone density. Raloxifene mimics the effects of estrogen in women to help them maintain bone mass and counteract the negative effects of menopause. Calcitonin is a hormone that slows bone loss. Teriparatide stimulates new bone growth and alleviates pain as a result of fractures. Tamoxifen is a synthetic hormone that has an estrogen effect on cells of the body and can make fractures less likely.

Lifestyle changes

Besides drugs and the like, there are a few homeopathic lifestyle changes you can utilize as osteoporosis treatment to help lessen the symptoms. First, always try to maintain good posture. Keep your chin in, your head high, your shoulders back, and your lower spine arched. Doing so will help relieve stress on your spine. You can also place a rolled up towel behind the small of your back when you drive or sit for long periods of time. Don’t lean over your work or while reading. Prevent falls anyway necessary, including wearing non-slip shoes and checking your home for things that you could easily fall over.