Osteoporosis

Vitamin D Alone Ineffective for Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

Laurie Barclay, MD Sep 24, 2013 Full story:  http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/811548 Calcium supplements significantly improved bone health in postmenopausal women in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial, but vitamin D supplements alone did not reduce bone turnover or osteoporosis risk. The trial results are published online September 24 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. “Vitamin D and calcium interact […]

Physical activity during life course and bone mass

It appears that the time to start thinking about osteoporosis is years before it becomes a crisis.

Acupuncture Does Help for Chronic Pain

In this meta-analysis, investigators found a statistically significant benefit of acupuncture for relief of chronic pain due to a variety of causes when compared with both sham controls and usual-care controls.
Pain relief was much greater when acupuncture was compared with usual care than when compared with the sham procedure suggesting a role for a placebo effect.

Weakened Bones Tied to Insulin Resistance

06.18.2013 SAN FRANCISCO — Insulin resistance — even if it hasn’t yet developed into overt diabetes — may cause bones to weaken, a cross-sectional study suggested. Among nondiabetic middle-age individuals, each doubling of the Homeostasis Model of Assessment-Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) was associated with a 9% to 14% decrease in three markers of bone strength (P≤0.004 […]

Autonomic control of bone formation: its clinical relevance

Ji-Ye H, et al. Handb Clin Neurol. 2013;117:161-71. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-444-53491-0.00014-6. Abstract Bone remodeling is thought to be regulated by many factors including nutritional status, humoral factors, and biomechanical stress. However, the involvement of the autonomic nervous system, mainly the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), in the modulation of bone remodeling is beginning to receive more attention. […]

Effect of epidural steroid injection on bone mineral density and markers of bone turnover in postmenopausal women

Al-Shoha A, et al. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2012. Show full citation Abstract STUDY DESIGN: A prospective, observational study. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of epidural steroid injection (ESI) on bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: ESIs are used to treat the pain associated with radiculopathy. Although it is known that exogenous steroid […]

Flattening of sagittal spinal curvature as a predictor of vertebral fracture

Osteoporos Int. 2008 Jan;19(1):65-9. Epub 2007 Sep 14. Flattening of sagittal spinal curvature as a predictor of vertebral fracture. Kobayashi T Abstract In a 12-year prospective study of 100 adult volunteers, incident vertebral fractures were analyzed for potential predictors. Decreased sagittal spinal curvature and pre-existing fractures were identified as independent predictors. The risk of vertebral […]