Does anyone have experience with Osteostrong?

[fafco]

Does anyone have experience with Osteostrong?

[Crystalbowl]

No. Had never hear of Osteostrong before but googled it. Sounds interesting and I might have tried it if it were available to me but I am in the UK and it seems only to be in the US in Texas at the moment. Will be interested to see if you get any replies from people who have tried it.

[beckyiswell in reply to Crystalbowl]

I went to OsteoStrong in North Carolina and they have one in Pennsylvania, so not just in Texas. I'm pretty sure they are in several other states as well, just have no idea if in other countries.

I had good results with OsteoStrong, just was not able to be consistent enough to know what the full effects would have been.

[WobblyWoman1]

I tried it however they pushed me so hard to keep loading the machines and in the end I had five spontaneous in my spine over two years ago and still not recovered. Be very careful as many of the instructors are not fully qualified in osteoporosis but rather just completed the Osteostrong training. Google around as there are a number of stories of others who have been injured. Take care.

[fafco in reply to WobblyWoman1]

I'm sorry to hear that you were injured as a result of Osteostrong. I appreciate your warning and if I decide to try it, I will certainly be very cautious.

[uncountable3]

Osteostrong is a franchise. While the machines are common, methods vary from site to site and even between instructors at the same site. I started in Los Gatos and switched to San Jose for scheduling and location convenience. I think Los Gatos was more careful while San Jose was more scientific. Both, however, were insistent that any pain was not acceptable and always asked after each action how it felt. What WobblyWoman1 experienced is pretty horrifying. I would advise that if any instructor ever advises you to push through the pain to stop and report them.

[fafco in reply to uncountable3]

Have you seen any improvements in your bone density as a result of doing Osteostrong?

[uncountable3]

Unknown. I've only been doing Osteostrong since July and there I've only had one DXA in that time. I'm also on Forteo so even if I show improvement at the next DXA, I won't know how was the contribution of Osteostrong.

[fafco in reply to uncountable3]

I am also on Forteo and am facing the same problem. If I start going to Osteostrong and I see an improvement in my DXA, I won't know what the improvement is attributable to.

[uncountable3]

How important this is depends on your objective. Is it to verify the effectiveness of Osteostrong or is to do whatever you can to improve your bones? While I would be disappointed to find out my time and money were wasted I would be more disappointed if I were to fracture because I declined to do something that might have prevented it.

[fafco in reply to uncountable3]

Well said. Abundance of caution. I get it.

[beckyiswell]

Definitely do not allow yourself to be pushed beyond what you can do. That is not the objective.

[FearFracture]

Fafco, There is not an Osteostrong in or near my city, but last week I was in a city that does have an Osteostrong location, so I signed up the 1 free visit they offer. I explained to the owner at the location, that if I decided to sign up to come weekly that it wouldn't be for at least 9ish months--I want to wait until one full year from having received my 1st (possibly last) zoledronic acid infusion and I will have to make living arrangements, etc.

On the Osteostrong website the thing that "sold" me on the program was a video by the founder, about how he was surprised by the number of thyroid and parathyroid issues they discover. He says something like, if after one year a person isn't seeing increased BMD then when send them back to their doctors and it's then they discover that the issue is a thyroid or parathyroid issue.

At the location I visisted they start you on a whole-body vibration (WBV) machine but you don't have to do this and I recommend that you don't. The Marodyne LiV (low intensity vibration) platform is safe for ppl with low bone density but WBV can have negative effects even on ppl who don't have osteoporosis. For instance WBV can cause detached retinas.

Osteostrong uses 4 pieces of equipment. I used all 4 while there. On 2 of the machines, I was able to reach the load needed to stimulate bone growth and the other 2, I did not reach it. The owner said I did well for my first visit, and I didn't want to push to hard because the goal is to improve over time, not to get hurt on the 1st visit.

One interesting thing that I learned is regarding the amount needed to stimulate bone growth. Lots of articles point to needing to lift around 4.2 times your body weight to stimulate bone growth. Per Osteostrong the lower body does have to have an osteogenic load of around 4.2 times one's body weight to stimulate bone growth but the upper body is much lower, think the number they used was approximately 1.5 times your body weight.

The 4 pieces of osteogenic loading equipment are different for gym equipment in that they don't really have moving parts or there is not much movement when you use them.

If I lived in a city with an Osteostrong I would definitely give it a shot. The cost per month at the location I visited is $179/month and that includes 20 minute weekly sessions on the WBV platform and the 4 osteogenic loading machines. If I signed up I would just skip the WBV. They pretty much promise an increase in BMD within one year, given no other untreated health issues (Celiac, thyroid, parathyroid), so it would be easy to try for a year and see how it works.

Additionally, a good number of ppl who work with Osteoporosis, for example, Dr. Brown of betterbones.com and the Caltons, seem to be recommending Osteostrong.

Hope this helps, and if you do decide to give it a shot. Keep us posted.