using them to be approximately eight times as susceptible as are men to the development of osteoporosis. Approximately one in four women will develop osteoporosis, if adequate adjustments are not made (Berger, 1987).
NATURAL AND DRUGLESS THERAPIES FOR THE
PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF OSTEOPOROSIS
Drug therapy is available for osteoporosis, and the use of drugs in the treatment of the condition is relatively wide spread. There are several alternative therapies, however, for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Among the more significant of these alternative therapies are (1) orthomolecu lar nutritional therapy, (2) physical therapy, and (3) transcu
taneous electrical nerve stimulation T.E.N.S. therapy (Rus sell, 1985).
Orthomolecular Nutritional Therapyand Physical Therapy______________
Orthomolecular nutritional therapy involves the inclusion of specific minerals in an individual's diet. Of greatest sig nificance is calcium (Kirschmann, 1989). Phosphorus, magnes ium, and flouride are also important elements of orthomolecular nutritional therapy for osteporosis (Berger, 1987; Kirschmann, 1989). Orthomolecular is effective in both the prevention and the threatment of osteoporosis (Berger, 1987; Kirschmann, 1989).
Physical therapy may be as simple and as non intrusive as an exercise regimen, or it may be as potentially dangerous and as intrusive as surgery. In its non intrusive forms, physical therapy is useful in both the prevention and the treatment of osteoporosis. In its intrusive form, surgery, its usefulness is confined to treatment.
A study in the mid 1980s compared the results of two therapeutic approaches to the treatment of osteoporosis (Mac kenzie, 1985). The two therapies were (1) orthomolecular nutritional therapy, and (2) physical therapy. This study was based on a randomly selected sample of 60 persons who were classified according to independent and intervening variables relate...