Unfortunately, there is no cure for osteoporosis, but early detection and treatment can help those suffering from osteoporosis lead normal lives.
There are a few effective treatments that healthcare providers use today:
Estrogen replacement therapy – Estrogen replacement therapy restores estrogen levels in a woman’s body, and over a period of time, it can reduce the severity osteoporosis and even help prevent heart disease. If estrogen replacement therapy is used for at least 10 years, it can reduce bone fractures up to 75 percent in women.
Healthcare providers can prescribe estrogen replacement therapy in two different ways – the pill or a patch.
It does have a few side effects – women taking an estrogen replacement therapy drug can gain weight, have vaginal bleeding, battle nausea and experience breast tenderness or bloating.
And using estrogen replacement therapy could increase the chances of certain other diseases like breast and uterine cancer – you have to weigh the benefits and the harmful effects before deciding this therapy is right for you.
Bisphosphonates– Bisphosphonate medications are non-hormonal alternative treatments used to reduce osteoporosis. They work by blocking the breakdown of the bone mass – and have been proven to significantly improve osteoporosis.
People taking bisphosphonates like Fosamax and Actonel can experience heartburn, stomach upset or gastrointestinal problems.
Vitamin D and calcium supplements – Vitamin D and calcium supplements help prevent bone loss. You can buy these over the counter, or your healthcare provider may prescribe Calcitrol – an active form of vitamin D that improves the absorption of calcium, or Calcitonin-salmon– a synthetic hormone available in injection and nasal spray form that blocks the cells that break down our bones. We actually produce calcitonin in our bodies that aid in calcium and bone formation, but the synthetic version is more similar to the calcitonin found in salmon. It is proven to decrease the chances of spinal fractures and slow bone loss in postmenopausal women.
Synthetic parathyroid hormone – this is used to treat postmenopausal women who have a high risk of fracturing their bones. The hormone is injected every day during a prescribed treatment schedule – usually no more than 24 months. It actually helps stimulate new bone growth and increases in bone density. It is very effective, especially paired with estrogen replacement therapy, but can cause several side effects like chest pain, constipation, depression, headache, high blood pressure and weakness.
Raloxifine – another osteoporosis treatment is a selective estrogen receptor modulator called Raloxifine. It can give the same beneficial results as estrogen replacement therapy without all the side effects. It is proven to prevent bone loss while reducing the risk for spinal breaks or fractures.
Before this new technology existed, there was little healthcare providers could do to treat or prevent osteoporosis. But, bone density screens and advanced medical therapies and drugs are now available to reduce the risk or prevent osteoporosis.