Conditions We Treat

Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment Many women are concerned about preventing osteoporosis. There’s a perception that calcium supplementation and estrogen replacement are vital to fulfilling this goal. The media, the milk industry and the pharmaceutical industry have been major sources of this misinformation. It’s important to know the facts about osteoporosis prevention and treatment. As an osteoporosis specialist, Michael Rothman MD is here to clear up some of the misconceptions regarding this disease. The Facts About Osteoporosis

• Osteoporosis is not caused be a calcium deficiency, instead it is a problem related to your metabolism of calcium. The calcium must be incorporated into your boney matrix in order for it to contribute to the strength of your osseous tissue. Otherwise, you may end up with calcium deficiency symptoms in women.
• Silica, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium are essential minerals for proper metabolism of calcium.
• Vitamin D is also essential, especially in the form of sunlight. Sunlight, unfiltered by glass (or sunglasses), is extremely important to reducing your chance of developing osteoporosis.
• The form of calcium you take is important, depending on your metabolically directed functional testing results. Some forms of calcium can lead to high blood pressure. Some forms can make you overly alkaline, some are very poorly absorbed.. Calcium can activate your sympathetic nervous system leading to diverse symptoms such as dry mouth, dry nose, dry eyes, constipation, anxiety and sleeplessness. Excess calcium can also affect your metabolism and lead to fatigue and weight gain.
• If you were to measure the total amount of calcium in your body and you have osteoporosis, you would most likely not find a deficiency. However, the calcium would not be in your bones, it may be in your blood vessels (hardening of the arteries), your soft tissues (calcific tendonitis), your kidneys (renal lithiasis) and your brain (dementia). In fact, aging is associated with excessive calcium ending up in abnormal tissues.
• Estrogen replacement plays no part in osteoporosis prevention and treatment. In fact, excessive estrogen can inhibit osteoblastic (bone-forming) activity. On the other hand,progesterone and testosterone do help osteoporosis by increasing osteoblastic activity.

So, what can you do to prevent/treat osteoporosis?

• Follow a good diet. This means eating a balanced proportion of carbohydrates/fats/protein three times a day.
• Take a high-quality multi-vitamin/mineral each day.
• Get 15 minutes of sunshine (without sunglasses) every day.
• Do weight-bearing exercises (these stimulate bone growth) a few days a week
• Make sure your estrogen/progesterone and testosterone levels are balanced.
• Find out your metabolically directed functional test results, and take the right kind of calcium supplement (if needed) for you.

To learn more about osteoporosis prevention and treatment, and how alternative holistic healing by osteoporosis specialist Michael Rothman MD can help, contact us today by giving us a call at (732) 268-7663 or emailing us at [email protected].