Osteoporosis Health Center

The goals of treatment for osteoporosis include the following:

• Reduce pain caused by the condition
• Stop or slow down bone loss
• Strengthen bone to prevent bone fractures
• Decrease the risk of injuries that might cause fractures

Medications can be used to strengthen bones. Doctors prescribe medication after osteoporosis or osteopenia (thin bones but not osteoporosis) has been diagnosed by a bone density study.

Biphosphonates

In postmenopausal women, biphosphonates are the primary medications used to prevent or treat osteoporosis. These medications are most commonly taken by mouth, but they can also be given through a vein (intravenously). Biphosphonates include alendronate (Fosamax), ibandronate (Boniva) and risedronate (Actonel). All of these medications are taken by mouth, usually once a week or once a month.

Calcitonin

Calcitonin is used to slow the rate of bone loss and relieve pain in the bones. It can be injected or taken through a nasal spray. Side effects include nasal irritation from the spray or nausea from the injection. Calcitonin may not be as effective as biphosphonates.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is not approved to treat women who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis and is rarely used anymore to prevent the condition. However, if estrogen therapy has helped a patient and there is not another option to prevent osteoporosis, a doctor may recommend the patient continue its use.

If a woman is thinking about HRT to prevent osteoporosis, it is important that she discuss the risks with her doctor.

Parathyroid Hormone

Women who have severe osteoporosis and are at a high risk for fractures may be prescribed teriparatide (Forteo). Taken through shots underneath the skin, this medication is given daily at home.

Raloxifene

Similar to the breast cancer medicine tamoxifen, raloxifene (Estiva) is used for both prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. This medication can reduce the risk of spinal fractures by almost 50 percent, but it does not appear to prevent other fractures. Although there have not been enough studies, there is a chance that this medication can protect against heart disease and breast cancer. One of the side effects of raloxifene is a slight risk of blood clots in the leg veins or the lungs.

Surgery

There are not any surgeries to treat osteoporosis. However, there is a procedure called vertebroplasty that can be used to treat any small fractures in the spinal column caused by osteoporosis. By strengthening the bones in the spinal column, this procedure can help reduce the risk of fracture in weak vertebrae. During this surgery, a fast-hardening glue is injected into the areas that are fractured or weak. Kyphoplasty is a similar procedure that uses balloons to widen the spaces that need the glue. The balloons are taken out during the surgery.