No Bones About It, You Can Prevent and Reverse Osteoporosis!
May 2023
By: Winslow E. Dixon, Holistic Health Educator, Clinical Herbalist, Frequency Medicine Practitioner.
Contributor/Editor: Deb Martín, Holistic Health Educator
When you say the term “older person,” people typically get a mental image of someone with grey hair who is hobbling around with a walker. In Chinese Medicine, as well as other Natural and Functional Medicines, this is NOT considered normal aging. However, in American culture, we have been told that diseases like osteoporosis, osteopenia and other conditions that cause bone loss (and mental decline) are a normal part of the aging process.
Is it truly inevitable that we will suffer a decline in bone health as we age, or is there a means to preserve our bone health well into our golden years?
This article will empower and educate you to understand that you can preserve your skeletal health. AND, we are starting a new book club to support everyone who has curiosity and the personal desire to gain knowledge of and learn to create healthier bones. You’ll find book club details at the end of this article.
ANSWERS & HELP ARE AVAILABLE!
Thanks to the marvels of modern society, people are living longer lives, and the need for healthcare protocols to address aging has become a prominent topic within the medical community. In recent years, many physicians and researchers have brought much innovation into updating protocols to address the healthcare concerns of older people.
One such researcher and practitioner who has helped thousands of patients is Dr. R. Keith McCormick. He has published many remarkable studies and research protocols such as: Osteoporosis: Integrating Biomarkers and Other Diagnostic Correlates into the Management of Bone Fragility published in Alternative Medicine Review, June 2007, and The Whole-Body Approach to Osteoporosis, released by New Harbinger Publications in May 2009.
Early in 2023, Dr. McCormick published a revolutionary book, Great Bones – Taking Control of Your Osteoporosis. This book describes how to recognize, diagnose, treat, and also prevent, bone loss. It is education for us all, and contains a helpful appendix, well-organized tables such as blood marker measurements, plus an in-depth reference section which any research-oriented doctor will appreciate. Go to this book with your curiousity and questions about osteoporosis and bone health. You’ll find answers.
HIS PERSONAL STORY
Dr. McCormick’s experience with osteoporosis is personal. During his time as an Olympic pentathlete, he suffered broken bones. He trained for the Olympics several times, representing the U.S. in 1976. He continued to train and compete, and his daily run was sacred. At the age of 45, he experienced a painful fracture during a run, was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis, and suffered 12 fractures over the next 5 years. To take control of his own bone disease, he spent decades reading everything he could find on its causes, treatments, and most importantly, the knowledge on how to reverse it.
His book, Great Bones is the culmination of his research and how his discoveries helped him reclaim his own health. Amazingly, he has not suffered a fracture in more than fifteen years and now takes part in Ironman competitions. It became his mission to help others understand not just the basics of skeletal health but also the biological mechanisms of bone loss, diagnostic procedures, and laboratory tests to identify its causes, and treatment interventions (both natural and pharmaceutical), to decrease fracture risk and put patients on a path to long-term sustainable bone health.
TESTING BONE DENSITY & QUALITY
The current standard for diagnosing bone density issues is a DEXA scan (dual x-ray absorptiometry, also referred to as DXA). This diagnostic method measures the thickness and strength of a person’s bones by passing high and low energy x-ray beams of ionizing radiation through the body. But upon Dr. McCormick’s research, he discovered there was a more advanced testing protocol which is essential to understanding fracture risk. It’s called the Trabecular Bone Score (TBS). This is a software add-on to the DEXA which can further analyze that scan to provide highly-useful information. The limitation with current DEXA scanning is that it tests the density of the bone, but does not adequately assess the quality of the bone. In essence, even if bones show up on the DEXA scan as low density, to truly decipher the risk of fracture, the person’s trabecular bone score can help evaluate the measure of bone quality, not just its density.
For someone living with osteoporosis who has concerns about fracture risk, this information can be truly life-saving! It can enable people to take proper precautions as they work toward stabilizing their bones. For example, it might be smart to install grab bars in their bathrooms. For those who get the good news that their bones are higher quality, that may help them move forward with a more rigorous exercise program as part of reversing and creating better bones. (Note: It is best to work with a specialist trained in osteoporosis before beginning any exercise plan.)
And, TBS results are useful for younger people too! It is specifically useful in evaluating young patients on long-term glucocorticoid therapy to manage chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Typically, these medications cause bone loss even in younger individuals; but due to their age, their bones can appear to be in better shape than they actually are. The TBS protocol can be used to evaluate the true state of someone’s bone quality so that preventive measures can be initiated to avoid fractures and osteoporosis later in life.
GET SMART
Dr. McCormick’s book expresses in vivid detail how to recognize symptoms of bone loss and even has an entire chapter dedicated to addressing conditions which can contribute to diminished bone health. He not only educates on how to understand what is going on in your own body but also gives you the information to get properly diagnosed.
His book empowers readers with a myriad of protocols one can adopt into their lifestyle to promote bone health. He emphasizes the importance of proper nutrition, exercise and stress management as well as introduces modern therapeutic advances such as: PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic field), whole body vibration and even the possibility of tissue rejuvenation and stem cell therapy.
Great Bones is nearly 700 pages of truly insightful, life-changing information we couldn’t possibly put into one article. If you are interested in learning more about this topic, please subscribe to our blog where we will be posting a multi-part series on recognizing, diagnosing, treating and preventing osteoporosis and other conditions which impact bone density.
GREAT BONES & BRAINS BOOK CLUB BEGINS
We are excited to host a monthly book club based on Dr. McCormick’s book, Great Bones. And there is another bonus! We will discover many ideas which benefit both bones and brains. This club will be held on the third Saturday of each month (in person except on July 15 when we will meet on Zoom). Join us from 1:30pm- 3:00pm at Lotus Blossom Clinic, 6710 Winkler Rd #2, Fort Myers, FL 33919. Meetings are $10, and you will enjoy bone-healthy snacks. If you wish to attend virtually, or you desire a weekday club meeting, please contact Deb Martin, deb@lotusblossomclinic.com
At Lotus Blossom Clinic, we are firm believers that you can take control of your health at any age. We are proud to offer events and services to help you take control of your wellbeing!
In Service of Great Bones,
Dr. David Martín, Winslow Dixon, and Deb Martín
Lotus Blossom Clinic
www.LotusBlossomClinic.com
(239) 277-1399
Serving the Greater Fort Myers area with Natural and Holistic Medicine, including Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Massage, Science-backed Food as Medicine, Energy & Transformational Sessions…and Community Classes & Events both Virtual and In-Person!
Note:
We are not MD’s, Nutritionists, or Dieticians. Vickie Gelardi and Deb Martín are certified in the Conquering Any Disease, a High-Phytochemical Food Healing System, and they work under Dr. David Martín’s directions with his patients, helping them incorporate his dietary guidelines into their lives to improve health.