Acupuncture for Osteoporosis

Introduction

Osteoporosis is a condition that weakens the bones, increasing the risk of fractures. It develops gradually, and is often first discovered when a fall or knock causes a bone to fracture. Wrists, hips, and vertebrae (back bones) are the most common fractures, though fractures can also occur elsewhere such as in the arms, the pelvis, and the ribs. The precursor to osteoporosis is osteopenia (which literally means ‘poverty of the bone’ in Ancient Greek). Osteopenia means that the patient has lower bone density than is normal for a person of their age.

In the U.K. 3 million people are affected by osteoporosis, and 500 000 every year end up in hospital with broken bones as a result of falls. Women are at greater risk of osteoporosis than men, especially after the menopause. Exercise (especially weight-brewing exercise), and supplementation with Vitamin D and calcium can help to prevent osteoporosis, but various medications can also be used such as biphosphonates, raloxifene (which has a similar effect on bone to oestrogen) and parathyroid hormone, though the latter is not the first choice of treatment and is only used in a small number of people with very low bone density.

HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) helps to keep the bones strong, but it is not usually prescribed for osteoporosis specifically because of the slight risk of developing other health conditions.

Osteoporosis According to Chinese Medicine

Osteoporosis has been recognised in Chinese Medicine for thousands of years, and is traditionally attributed to the Kidneys. This is of course rather different to modern physiology, and for that reason I refer to the organs with capital letters when I am referring to the function of that organ in Chinese Medicine as opposed to modern medicine. The easiest way to go from diagnosis to treatment in Chinese Medicine is to identify the sub-types. There are only 3 subtypes of osteoporosis in Chinese Medicine, but actually there are all just variations of Kidney Deficiency:

1．虚劳不足 Exhaustion and Insufficiency

Main symptoms: onset after middle age, one becomes easily tired, reduced appetite, deficiency, spontaneous sweating, feeling easily cold, and shortness of breath

Herbal Formula: 龟鹿八珍汤 Eight Treasure Turtle and Deer formula. This is basically a traditional formula called Eight Treasures Formula with the addition of turtle shell gelatin and deer antler gelatin and as such is not appropriate for vegetarians or Europeans (because the use of animal products in Chinese Medicine is not permitted in Europe). This first subtype corresponds mostly to osteopenia as opposed to osteoporosis.

2．肾阳虚 Kidney Yang Deficiency

Main symptoms: puffy face, easily feels cold, lower back pain and soreness which feels better with pressure or the application of warmth, weakness of the lower limbs, reduced appetite, weak urination, loose stool, reduced sexual desire, is the tongue is pale and fat, the tongue coating is thin and white, and the pulses are weak.

Herbal Formula: 右归饮 You Gui Yin “Right Kidney Drink”

3．肾阴虚 Kidney Yin Deficiency

Main Symptoms: hot hands and feet, especially at night, hot flushes, cheekbones red, night sweats, sore waist and back, weakness of the lower limbs, hypersexuality, dry mouth and dry tongue, red tongue, tight pulse.

Herbal Formula: 左归丸 Zuo Guiwan “Left Kidney Pill”

Acupuncture for Osteoporosis : Points

The main acupuncture points are BL-23 and Du-4. One can also use ST-36, SP-9 and other Spleen strengthening points, because the Spleen and Kidney are related in Chinese Medicine, and this relationship can be seen particularly in the first subtype in the list above.

Acupuncture for Osteoporosis: Research

There was a piece of research done in 2016, which took 62 female patients with osteoporosis and divided them into 2 groups of 31. One group was given the standard medical treatment, and the other was given Chinese herbal formulas – Left Kidney Pill, or Right Kidney Pill . Pain scores, bone density and bone conversion markers were measured and compared at the end of the study, which lasted for 6 months. The two groups differed significantly on pain scores (the herbal medicine group did better) but there was no difference in bone density or bone conversion markers, however a 2013 meta analysis (study of studies) did find an effect on bone density. These two studies were actually herbal medicine studies, rather than acupuncture studies, but because this condition requires long-term treatment, that is sometimes easier to achieve with herbal medicine.

Having said that this recent review of acupuncture for osteoporosis also found improvements in bone density.