Osteoporosis is a steadily growing problem. One medical study reports that the number of osteoporosis patients in the U.S. could be more than 14 million in 2020. This condition is also responsible for a high number of fall-related fractures. These fractures led to $31.3 billion in medical costs in 2015.
If you’re living with osteoporosis, your primary care doctor has probably laid out some treatment guidelines for you. It’s likely that these guidelines are mostly focused on taking various medications. However, there are three other treatment options that could benefit you as well.
Three nondrug treatments to add to your osteoporosis treatment guidelines
Most people tend to react well to osteoporosis medications, but there is always a chance that they could also cause some serious side effects. One of these side effects is joint or muscle pain. Osteoporosis medications can also cause nausea, heartburn and difficulty swallowing.
One way you can avoid dealing with such side effects is to try more natural treatments. Three options you should consider adding to your osteoporosis treatment guidelines include:
- Dietary changes — Eating more fruits and vegetables can be an effective natural option for treating osteoporosis. These foods contain high levels of potassium, magnesium, vitamin C and other micronutrients that are stored in bones. One recent study directly linked eating fewer than five servings of fruit and veggies per day to an increased risk of hip fractures.
- Vitamin supplements — It’s not always possible for people to eat enough foods high in specific vitamins and minerals. In such cases, supplements can offer a useful alternative. This is especially true for osteoporosis patients with low calcium levels. In one study, researchers report that taking an average of 260 mg/day of calcium could be very beneficial. In fact, this was found to decrease the patient’s risk of hip fractures by 69%.
- Therapeutic exercise — Another natural treatment option that can help osteoporosis patients is therapeutic exercise. Aerobic exercises and strength training can be particularly effective. One medical study shows that an exercise program increased bone mineral density (BMD) in 35- to 45-year-old women. The study recorded that BMD increased in the study participants in the lumbar spine (5%) and neck (3%) over a two-year period.
Border Therapy Services can help add physical therapy to your osteoporosis treatment guidelines
Are you ready to find out how physical therapy can help if added to osteoporosis treatment guidelines? Our Border Therapy Services team is prepared to help you. We offer free screenings designed to pinpoint issues your osteoporosis is causing. Our team can then build you a personalized therapy plan designed to treat these issues.
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule your free screening.