Bone up on osteoporosis

Dr Mukesh Batra

Osteoporosis is a condition that results in loss of bone strength and density, causing bones to become more fragile and easily susceptible to fractures. It is often called a "silent disease" because bone loss occurs without any overt symptoms. Osteoporosis mostly affects women, as its victims are 80 percent female and 20 percent male. One quarter of all women above 60 years old are afflicted by the condition. In India, one out of two women over the age of 45 years is affected. It is caused by poor calcium and vitamin D intake and absorption, as well as being a side effect of hormone replacement therapy. The most serious health implication of osteoporosis is frequent fractures, which can be caused by even routine activities like bending to lift a bucket or even just coughing or sneezing. Repeated fractures can cause you to lose several inches in height as your posture becomes stooped.

Homeopathy is a safe and gentle way to tackle osteoporosis. It provides vital nutritional remedies that not only help to prevent the disease but also to minimise it. It works both to correct osteoporosis and prevent further nutritional deficiency of the bones, as well as enables the body to absorb natural vitamin D by synthesising the sun's rays. Choosing homeopathy for other ailments can also prevent you from developing osteoporosis as a side effect. A major clinical trial published in the journal of the American Medical Association showed that women on hormone replacement therapy for various ailments like menopause and PCOD were at a much higher risk for breast cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis than those using homeopathy.

Homeopathic remedies

• Calcarea Carb 30, five pills twice a day
• Calcarea Phos 6X, two tablets twice a day

We had a case where a 40 year old woman came to our clinic complaining of backache and mild pain all over her body. A detailed case history revealed that she had already entered menopause. Her complaints suggested early signs of osteoporosis so she was advised to take a bone density test that would establish the condition of her bones. As we suspected, her bone mineral density score turned out to be alarmingly low (-1.5). She was prescribed homeopathic medicines Calcarea Carb based on her constitution and Calcarea Phos 6X, two tablets twice a day. In a few months, she was given a follow up bone density test which showed a significant increase in her bone mineral density score (0.5). Today, all her aches and pains are gone; she exercises daily at a gym and leads a normal, healthy life.

Prevention is better than cure

By about age 20, the average woman has acquired 98 percent of her skeletal mass. Building strong bones during childhood and adolescence can be the best defence against developing osteoporosis later. There are steps, which together can optimise bone health and help prevent osteoporosis.

1) A balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D. Milk may not give you all the calcium you need because it is difficult to digest. Therefore include green leafy vegetables like cabbage, spring greens, spinach and broccoli. Oranges, tofu and sesame seeds are also good calcium sources.
2) Reduce salt intake—Reducing five gm of salt a day reduces calcium loss by 30 mg a day.
3) A healthy lifestyle with no smoking or excessive alcohol intake.
4) Avoid colas because they make your bones brittle.
5) Weight-bearing and resistance-training exercises.
6) Bone density testing and medication when appropriate.

Through the ages

Getting enough calcium throughout life is important as it helps to build and maintain strong bones. The following table will help understand the minimum calcium requirement for differing age groups.

Vital statistics

One out of every two women and and one in four men over 50 will have an osteoporosis related fracture in their lifetime. About 30-50 percent of all women and 15-30 percent of all men will suffer a fracture related to osteoporosis in their lifetime. In India alone there will be a three fold increase from 12 million to 36 million cases of osteoporosis by 2013. More than 80 percent of those affected are women. Because of the loss of oestrogen after menopause that blocks or slows down bone loss, women are four times more likely than men to develop this condition.

In a study of Indian women aged 30-60 years from low income groups, bone mineral density at all the skeletal sites were much lower than values reported from developed countries, with a high prevalence of osteopenia (52 percent) and osteoporosis (29 percent) due to inadequate nutrition.

(Writer is the Chairman and Managing Director of Dr Batras' Positive Health Clinic)