Hello, I am new to the Osteoporosis Group. I am a 75 year old woman who was in a bicycle accident in Sept. 2023 and broke both bones in my left forearm and fractured the tibia in my left leg. I have recovered from the accident but I had a DEXA scan done in Dec 2023 and was diagnosed with Osteoporosis with the following results:
FINDINGS:
RIGHT FEMUR (total): The bone mineral density is 0.630 gm/cm sq. Percentage of young normal mean is 62%. T-score is -3.0. Percentage age-matched mean is 78%. Z-score is -1.4.
LEFT FEMUR (total): The bone mineral density is 0.595 gm/cm sq. Percentage of young normal mean is 59%. T-score is -3.3. Percentage age-matched mean is 74%. Z-score is -1.6.
LUMBAR SPINE(L1-L2): The bone mineral density is 0.729 gm/cm sq. Percentage of young normal mean is 63%. T-score is -3.6. Percentage age-matched mean is 75%. Z-score is -2.0.
TBS score is 1.246 and represents a partially degraded microarchitecture.
I have been doing a lot of research on natural ways to treat Osteoporosis to improve the strength of my bones and reduce the likelihood of future bone fractures. It is confusing as there is so much conflicting information, but there is a lot of information available. I have found an Orthopedic surgeon/doctor and orthopedic nurse practitioners who are taking a special interest in helping people with Osteoporosis who do not want to take a prescription medicine to treat Osteoporosis. I am learning more every day, and I really appreciate the information from other patients that I read on Healthunlocked.
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CKDnomore3953
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Sorry to hear about your accident, I too broke both bones in my left arm and a bone in my right hand when I fell over my bag a couple of years ago. I was subsequently diagnosed with Osteoporosis with scores not that different from yours but I had a hip score rather than both femurs. Because of other health conditions I decided to do what I could with diet but take the medication offered as well. I eat healthily and take supplements for calcium and vitamin D but am unable to exercise. It is the exercise that helps bone density as much as the diet and vitamins. Hence I went down the medication route.
I have just finished a year on Evenity Romososumab and my follow up DEXA scan shows great improvement in bone density. My spine is now -2.6, femur -3.2 and hip -2.2.
I just wanted to say I appreciated your story. The decision to take medication is a very difficult one that many of us come to for any one of a number of reasons. Personally, I have seen people react with alarm when they hear someone is on medication. I, too, am on Evenity (6 months in) after starting on on Fosamax - I had an insufficiency fracture of my sacrum. So, congratulations on the improvement! Good for you. I hope to hear more.
WellThatHurt - Thank you for your response. Congratulations on your improved DEXA scores. It is always gratifying to see positive results from the health changes we make. I hope that the changes I am making in diet and lifestyle adjustments will be as positive as yours.
Hi! I wanted to say first that I hope I'm out there riding my bike when I'm 75! If you had to break bones, at least you were "doing something". I am sorry, though, that you had to join our little club here.
Wow, your DEXA info is way more specific than mine...guess mainly I mean the microarchitecture part. That's cool.
And wish I could find your doctors! I just saw a new one yesterday in a practice outside the system (so they have more freedom.) He assured me that he avoids the pharmaceutical option as often as he can but with me, he still would recommend the drugs. I don't fully understand why I so don't want them. Maybe it's partly because in my view, I'm already off book? He suggested my scores are in the "polar regions" (which is funny--that was my imagery, too...I just got WAYY off course!) and I was 61, almost 62 at diagnosis; my Z-score as calculated by me was -5.5. Leaving my peers in the dust, right? But the point is, as it translates in my wonky brain, all bets are off.
But it has also been true in other areas, maybe not catastrophic (I am still here,) but supposely the odds of these things happening were small--less than 1% in one case (so they said,) and, though I'm grateful for the intervention of "medical science" n argument could be made that had medical science been paying better attention to me, I wouldn't have been in that pickle to start with.
And though this is a macabre perspective, yes, it's also true that without medical science, I might not be alive. But for serious, I mean, I want to be alive, but the way osteoporosis hit me, the prospect of maybe 40 more years of "this" only getting worse was not thrilling. I want to be riding my bike, hiking, baking...whatever...not sitting in a recliner with the heating pad yelling for the remote.
And of course, had medical science been paying attention, I might not be so far off course with the bones.
So, I have trust issues. And they want to help me with drugs even they admit don't do what the pharmaceutical companies say they do, that might reduce my risk of fracture of the hip (because that's what matters and I do understand that,) by 1-2%. And I'm thinking, again, wonky brain, not the sharpest tool, "So...I'm in the 1% now based on severity of my case, I've experienced the less than 1% chance in other areas, this will only likely help a tiny bit, and I have a less than 1% chance of an atypical femur fracture...and I've already had multiple vertebral fractures so I know how it feels, and also my father-in-law had a 'stupid doctor' who let him go off Prolia cold turkey, and now he's in constant pain--like me--woo hoo! but I'm supposed to trust that my doctors won't be 'stupid' even though they've pretty uniformly been stupid so far...have you SEEN pictures of those femur fractures? I think I'd rather take my chances with my hip."
I feel like I keep being told I just don't get it, and they're right; it's just that they don't get it either.
All that said, I toughed out this first year on my own, and if I'm not the success story I thought I was (per this new doctor yesteday, when you're in the polar regions, scores can be widely variable--like, the machine just doesn't know how to calculate?) even he admitted what I've been doing has likely helped, that the fact I didn't show worse scores IS a positive. (I don't know if my hip scores also counted as way out there or not, and if modest improvement in my hips might be more accurate? For reference, last year my spine read at -4.6, this year at -3.9. Last year hip and femoral head were -3.3, -3.5. This year -3.1, -3.4. )
From what I've read, you don't even want to check for 3 years if you take Fosamax, and after three years, you hope for 4-6% improvement. Course, if he's right, it doesn't really matter HOW I got the improvement, the DEXA will be unreliable?
(Sorry, this is my first chance to think it out, and it's happening on your dime.)
Whatever, if you want to know, here's what I've bern doing.
I took any supplement I could afford that purported to help bones: boron; yes, strontium (for awhile) with melatonin, Vit D and Vit K2 MK7, (very controversial but my reasoning was it still might make my bones stronger and I needed strength collagen; I've been back and forth with calcium; berberine (even though bone health was not my reason for starting it magnesium glycinate.
I addressed absorption issues both by taking supplements (special formulations from a company called Cellcore,) a naturopath recommended which were supposed to deal with bad bacteria, yeast, toxins and heavy metals. I changed my diet to mostly gluten, sugar, artificial sweetener, pop, and processed foods generally-free. I started taking a heavy duty probiotic and upped my intake of prebiotic fiber. I added digestive enzymes and methylated B-vitamins (because apparently I was even a bit deficient there, especially B2, and apparently you need tge Bs for absorption.)
I already was active and in lamentable fact, 90% of my back problems (not sure if all were fractures, but something was happening that wasn't good,) are a result of my efforts to get a stronger core, so I'm definitely a cautionary tale here. But, I know we have to keep moving and, so medical science says, we have to do weight bearing activity. So, I still walk, now witg a weighted back pack and trekking poles (I waited to add weight until my back was stable.) I do what weight training I do on a vibration plate, 20 minutes, 3xs per week. I started light, am now up to 15 pound dumbbells. The plate forces me to be mindful of balance, so discourages me from twisting, or moving too quickly. But my range of exercises is defintely limited, which was good at least to start.
I've recently added farmer's carry (I'm at 66 pounds, about half my body weight,) and I've had no issues. I tried out the Starting Strength program, and now thaf the doctor I saw yesterday okayed it, I'm going to pursue those "big muscle" moves (that's what I call them--squats and deadlifts) with heavier weights. We'll take the overhead press carefully.
For posture and pain relief, I do dead hangs, tricep bridges, and lie on our hardwood floor on my back with my legs elevated and knees bent at 90 degrees. I do have some kyphosis and it feels dreadful and good at the same time. I can barely get up after I do this but I think it does help and I need to be religious with it.
I've started working out in a pool, too, but it's not habit yet and time is a factor, but again, I deal with chronic pain, and while it's counterintuitive to do things that hurt when I do them, I feel like I've come to understand that I have to--that merely holding neutral posture is going to hurt, but I have to retrain those muscles. The pool just kind of amplifies this because I have to resist floating, and...it's fun.
That's about it so far. I hope you will post more about what you learn from your new doctors, and how it's going.
Thank you for your detailed response. You have provided a wealth of helpful information. I love your sense of humor, you are an Osteoporosis warrior.
I admire your ability and follow through in doing all those weight bearing exercises. Which vibration plate do you use? I have been looking at vibration plates since receiving my diagnosis and so far the Power Plate looks good in comparison to the other options.
I agree with what you said about main stream medical practitioners in regards to osteoporosis medications. The risk/benefit ratio does not seem to be in my favor at this point. I also take most of the supplements that you listed. I have to be cautious with supplements because I also have chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 3a since 2003.
Take another look at strontium. The retired Orthopedic surgeon says that Strontium improves your BMD on a DEXA scan but there is no proof that it actually makes your bones stronger and less apt to fracture. Also, have you considered having a REMs Echolight bone scan? I live in California and there are no REMS scanners available in California yet, but there are several locations scattered around the USA which provide REMS Bone scans which are purported to be more accurate predictors of actual bone strength.
I’m working on increasing the kinds of exercise I do - but I doubt I’ll ever be able to do all that you do.
(P.S if you could wade through my disrupted thoughts and typos, you are a warrior.)
I definitely would have a REMS scan but I'm in Oregon and we don't have them either. I could get a DEXA with the TBS score business, pay for it myself (our insurance didn't cover either of the scans I've had so far, but they were relatively inexpensive,) but now I'm not sure it'd be worth it. Plus, my bones crumpled at the drop of a hat for awhile there--I think it's pretty safe to say "they're bad, might be hard to get much worse."
I almost truly believe the best way to "reduce fracture risk" which seems to be all I can really hope for, with or without drugs, is to not do stupid things, which...is challenging...and to get stronger, not even for bone growth but just to give my poor skeleton some assistance. My relative youth has made me like a bull in a china shop, but it also hopefully means sarcopenia isn't as advanced as it could be? We can all build muscle, (so I'm told,) but like bone, it makes sense to try to not lose what you have. (I have always been stocky and on the stronger end of the spectrum; I was the woman who DID "bulk up" and I'd hoped that might keep me from going "polar". Alas ) I haven't pursued strength recently as diligently in recent years, partly because I did keep getting hurt. But this last year, I kept doing ANYTHING I could do, at least to maintain. I gave myself some time off with active fractures, but as soon as the pain wasn't acute, I was back at it. I'm sure this was ill-advised but I felt like I was getting small boulders hurled at me before I'd even developed a habit, so I had to persevere. And I do suspect the strength I had and the strength I've added have helped me continue to function. (I'm a hairdresser, that's right up there with...construction work...for being stupid once you already have injuries, and if the on the job injuries aren't as impressive as what "men" get, they can still be job-ending, even without osteoporosis.) And I AM getting better! I can do 4 haircuts now before my back is screaming in pain. Five months ago, it was 5 minutes.
So...yeah.
Where in California do you live? Are you a crazy biker, the type that does century rides and such, or do you just ride for fun? (My brother was an avid cyclist; he lives in Northern Cal, invited me to do the Chico Wildflower Century ride with him a few years ago...and I did it, only we quit at 74 miles because my feet go so numb it's agony after 65 miles.) Just...interesting. I still ride my bike (an eBike now--takes some pressure off my low back especially starting, otherwise I don't use the motor that much, but it certainly allows me to go farther faster, AND is way better than x-rays for diagnosing a vertebral fracture. And letting you know when it's stable. (I definitely can't handle the bumps if it's unstable.))
I've used the Marodyne Low Intensity Vibration Plate for about a year. I think it's been helpful. It's kind of expensive. I got mine new but the company may have some used ones to purchase as well. Below is a link for a good video on this particular plate. I need to get my second REMS test this summer to see if my density scores improved.
Thanks for responding to my question about vibration therapy. Please send an update after you get your next REM scan. I’ll be interested to see if it improves your Osteoporosis. I haven’t purchased a vibration plate yet - I’m still researching the options.
For a little balance, my osteoporosis was diagnosed after I broke a metatarsal when I turned my ankle. I started on risedronate (which I didn't like). My readings were similar to yours.and I was 54.
Six months later I slipped heavily on frozen ground and severely wedge fractured my L1. Fortunately I was referred to an excellent rheumatologist. I had three annual infusions of zolendronate and at the end of it my scores were in the normal range. I then went onto management doses every 18 months. In 2021 I slipped in the rain on an oily pavement and severely broke my wrist which needed to be pinned and also severely wedged my T12.
My scores had deteriorated on the 18 monthly regime and my rheumatologist recommended teriparatide which I agreed to pay for as I don't quite meet the NHS bar for funding. As soon as I finish it, I'll restart zolendronate.
My diet is good, my BMI is 26 so a tiny bit overweight. At 63 I still work full-time and had very little time off work for my injuries. I take Adcal D3 and an additional 2000IU of vitamin D, and 112mcg of levothyroxine (auto immune graves 35 years ago).
I do a little pilates for my core, have no pain, except for stiffness in my back and a tiny bit in my wrist so I regard myself as very lucky. I should do more exercise but full-time work gets in the way and jogging or cycling would terrify me in the event that I have another fall.
I have had no side effects from any medication and just wanted to give the other side of this. My only question, if you have osteoporosis, is why are you seeing an orthopaedic doctor and not a rheumatologist?
Thank you for sharing your story. I am happy to hear that you have had no side effects from the medications you have taken. We all have unique health histories, and I am concerned about the Osteoporosis medications because I have Chronic Kidney Disease which makes my body less able to tolerate many medications.
Dr. Doug Lucas is an Orthopedic Surgeon who retired from doing orthopedic surgery because he believed that he could help people prevent Osteoporosis before it caused fractured bones in their spines and hips. He is now working with patients who are concerned about taking the Osteoporosis medications that have potentially serious side effects. His medical practice is in North Carolina, but he treats people from all over the world. He treats people through lifestyle changes in diet, exercise and supplements. He has had significant success in helping his patients lower their risk of fractures with these methods. Visit his website if you want more information about his methods and results.
You mention that you have had vertebral fractures and are in constant pain. What have you found to counter the pain, other than the heating pad that you mentioned. Do you use a regular heating pad or an infrared heating pad? My mother is in pain all the time and I am trying to find ways to help her. Thank you!
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collagen; I've been back and forth with calcium; berberine (even though bone health was not my reason for starting it
