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Alternative therapies for osteoporosis.
1Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
The American Journal of Chinese Medicine
|November 3, 2006
Summary
Complementary therapies like soy isoflavones and physical training show promise for osteoporosis management. However, more research is needed to confirm long-term effectiveness and safety of these and other alternative treatments.
Area of Science:
- Integrative medicine
- Bone health research
- Osteoporosis management
Background:
- Osteoporosis management is exploring complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies.
- Soy isoflavones and physical training have shown short-term benefits for bone density.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the effectiveness of various CAM therapies for osteoporosis.
- To identify gaps in current research regarding CAM for bone health.
Main Methods:
- Review of short-term studies and prospective controlled trials.
- Examination of therapies including soy isoflavones, physical training, herbal formulae, essential fatty acids, and vitamins A, C, and K.
Main Results:
- Short-term soy isoflavone supplementation may benefit bone density in postmenopausal women.
- Physical training has demonstrated varying degrees of bone density increase.
- Limited data exist on the effectiveness, mechanisms, and safety of herbal formulae, essential fatty acids, and certain vitamins.
Conclusions:
- Further high-quality randomized controlled trials are necessary.
- Long-term effects of soy isoflavones require further investigation.
- More research is needed to establish the efficacy and safety of other CAM therapies for osteoporosis.
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