Our online community is a way you can get support from others who share your experiences. To support our online community, we’ve summarised the topic areas that people have the most questions about and where it can be hard to understand what the evidence says. We’ve provided the current up to date expert view, based on the research evidence, on these topics. We hope this allows members to make their own decisions about these complex issues.
Osteoporosis drug treatment
Osteoporosis drug treatments help strengthen bones and make them less likely to break. Like any medicine, drug treatments have some side effects, so making decisions about whether to take a medication involves weighing up the risks and benefits as you see them. Your decision will be personal and will be based on your own beliefs, preferences and needs, as well as the evidence.
A healthy lifestyle helps reduce your risk of osteoporosis and broken bones. But if your bones have already lost a lot of strength, the only proven way to strengthen bone and reduce your risk of fractures is with medication. Reducing your risk of falling over in later life is also important.
Positive lifestyle changes, like exercise and eating well, will make some difference. But healthy living can’t replace the benefits of a drug treatment to strengthen your bones.
For more information, you may find the drug treatments section on our website useful theros.org.uk/treatment or you can discuss your situation with our specialist nurses theros.org.uk/information-a...
REMS and DXA
We’ve noticed some posts saying DXA bone density scanning gives ‘fake’ results and REMS (Radio-frequency echogenic multi-spectrometry) scanning is better at showing the strength of your bones
The current up to date expert-view, based on the research evidence, is that REMs is a promising scanning method which is currently being researched. But it’s not yet accepted by experts in the field of bone measurement as a reliable and fully tested approach to understand how strong your bones are.
We have a film and web page here which gives more detailed information about this topic. Please see the ultrasound information on the ROS website. You can hear more from an expert youtu.be/YS9RaxhrWZc?si=WwM... (listen 30.15 minutes in). The theros.org.uk/diagnosis of our website explains the best ways to investigate and understand bone strength.
DXA scanning doesn’t provide a perfect measure of bone strength but this doesn’t mean results are ‘fake’. It means DXA shouldn’t be used on its own to make drug treatment decisions but must be combined with other risk factors such as ‘older age’ to give a full understanding of bone strength. Bone strength can be affected in other ways not shown by DXA, for example, the way the quality of the structure inside the bone breaks down in old age. It doesn’t mean that DXA is wrong, but we may have an unrealistic expectation of what the scan can show us. You can find out more about fracture risk assessment, which is the best way for clinicians to decide about your need for a medication, in this section of our web site. theros.org.uk/information-a...
Vibration therapy:
Some people believe that Low Intensity Vibration therapy has been proven to improve bone strength. Others believe that whole body vibration therapy is unsafe.
The current up to date expert-view, based on the research evidence, is that exercise and physical activity is the best way to work your bones to keep them strong. You may, of course, choose to use a vibration therapy machine. But our expert advisers tell us research hasn’t yet proven that this is going to work to improve bone strength.
The best evidence is that Whole Body Vibration can reduce your risk of falling. Research shows it’s generally safe. Research has not proven that Low Intensity Vibration therapy is better or safer than Whole Body Vibration at strengthening bones.
For more information see our fact sheet on vibration therapy - strwebprdmedia.blob.core.wi.... You can find out about the types of exercise that help bone strength theros.org.uk/healthy-bones
Vitamin K
The current up to date expert view, based on the research evidence, is that healthy eating is the best way to get all the nutrients your bones need.
You may, of course, choose to take a vitamin K supplement. But our nutritional advisers tell us research hasn’t yet proven that this makes a difference to your bone strength. If you have been recommended an osteoporosis medication, then taking a vitamin K supplement won’t be as effective at reducing your risk of breaking bones.
For more information strwebprdmedia.blob.core.wi... and hear Professor Sue Lanham New in our Bone Matters series - youtube.com/watch?v=wBP4L7F... to learn more.
The Clinical Team at the ROS
Royal Osteoporosis Society
We’re the Royal Osteoporosis Society – the UK’s largest national charity dedicated to improving bone health and beating osteoporosis. And we’re here for everyone living with osteoporosis or supporting someone. We equip people with practical information and support to take action on their bone health.
• Visit our website theros.org.uk/, we have lots of fact sheets and booklets available to download and print, covering everything from general bone health, diagnosing osteoporosis and fragility fractures, osteoporosis drug treatments and living with spinal fractures.
We rely on donations to enable us to maintain our helpline, resources and support services to patients and carers. Please support us, so that we can continue to support you.
Become a member - theros.org.uk/how-you-can-h...
Magnetic resonance therapy (MBST) for Osteoporosis
Dexa Scan questions and answers from the NOC
