Effect of Homeopathic Calcium on Bone Density

Summary

Osteoporosis is a disease that is rapidly increasing in prevalence owing to a combination of dietary influences, adverse effects of medication and a rapidly aging population. Osteoporosis is placing an increasing strain on the public health purse. Homeopathy is an inexpensive non-pharmacological alternative that may be useful to increase bone density. However, currently there is little evidence-based research on its effects. This pilot study aimed at exploring the effect of medium-potency calcium on the bone density of women over a period of one year. The majority of the women were post-menopausal. The bone density was measured before and after treatment with bone ultrasonometry. Results showed that medium potency calcium caused an increase in the bone density of eleven of the fifteen participants that completed the trial, ten of these post-menopausal. This prescription can be combined safely with allopathic drugs and is cost-effective. It is concluded that this homeopathic dose may be a viable treatment for osteoporosis but future controlled trials are needed to confirm the results.

Key words

Calcium - Bone density in women - Calcarea carbonica - Calcarea phosphorica - Calcarea fluorica - Ultrasonometry - Pilot study

References

• 1 Beers M H, Berco R. The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. New Jersey; Merck Research Laboratories 1999
• 2 Bickley L. Bates' Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking. New York; Lipincott 1999
• 3 Isselbacher K J. et al. .Harrison's Principles and Practice of Internal Medicine. 13th ed. New York; McGraw Hill 1994
• 4 Pizzorno J, Murray M. The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine. New York; Three Rivers Press 1997
• 5 Boericke W. Pocket Manual of Homeopathic Materia Medica. New Delhi; Motlial Barnarsidass Publishers 1996
• 6 Choudhuri N M. A Study on Materia Medica. New Delhi; B. Jain Publishers 1997
• 7 Stevenson J, Marsh M S. An Atlas of Osteoporosis. London; Informa Health Care 2000
• 8 MIMS, CMP Medica Australia Pty Ltd, Level 2, 1 Chandos St, St Leonards NSW, Australia,. 2000
• 9 Edwards C RW. et al .Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine. London; Churchill Livingstone 1995

1 Isselbacher et al., Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, Library of Congress, U. S., 1994.

2 Beers, Mark H, M. D. and Berco, Robert, M. D., The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, Merck Research Laboratories, New Jersey, 1999.

3 MIMS, CMP Medica Australia Pty Ltd, Level 2, 1 Chandos St, St Leonards NSW, Australia, 2000.

4 MIMS, CMP Medica Australia Pty Ltd, Level 2, 1 Chandos St, St Leonards NSW, Australia, 2000.

5 Pizzomo and Murray, The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Little, Brown and Company, London, 1996.

6 Pizzomo and Murray, The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Little, Brown and Company, London, 1996.

7 MIMS, CMP Medica Australia Pty Ltd, Level 2, 1 Chandos St, St Leonards NSW, Australia, 2000.

8 Edwards, CRW at al., Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine, Churchill Livingstone, London, 1995.

9 Gardner, C., Easy through menopause with homeopathic and herbal medicine, J Peranesth Nurse Vol 11(3) pp. 139 – 143, June 1999.

10 Kass-Annese, Barbara, Alternative therapies for menopause, Clinical Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Vol 34 (1) pp. 162 – 183, March 2000.

11 Thurneyson, Andre, Osteoporosis and hormonal supplements, Homoeopathic Links Vol 6 pp. 36 – 37. March 1993.

12 Katz, T., Homeopathic treatment during the menopause, Complement Ther Nurs Midwifery Vol 3 (2), pp. 46 – 50, April 1997.

13 Setchell KD, Lydeking-Olsen E. Dietary phytoestrogens and their effect on bone: evidence from in vitro and in vivo, human observational, and dietary intervention studies. Am J Clin Nutr 78 (3 Suppl): 593S – 609S Sep 2003.

14 Palermo C, Filanti C, Poggi S, Manduca P. Osteogenesis in vitro in rat tibia-derived osteoblasts is promoted by the homeopathic preparation, Cell BioI lnt Vol 23 (1), pp. 31 – 40, 1999.

15 Warenik-Szxymankiewicz, A., Feminon M in the treatment of menopausal symptoms, Ginekol Pol 68(2), pp. 89 – 93, Feb 1997.

16 Seidel MM, Stewart DE. Alternative treatments for menopausal symptoms. Systematic review of scientific and lay literature, Can Fam Physician Vol 44, pp. 1299 – 1308, June 1998.

17 Stewart A, Kumar V, Reid DM. Long-term fracture prediction by DXA and QUS: a 10-year prospective study. J Bone Miner Res Vol 21 (3): 413 – 418, March 2006.