Osteoporosis help?

my mother just found out she has osteoporosis, pretty bad apparently, in her hip. shes only 64. and the doctor says well whatever you do, do not fall! he siad methods for treatin git are taking this awful awful prescription med, or doing 100 jumps a day. she is not keen on either of these. waht are some alternatives to medication that can help my mummy with her bones?

There are other meds, like things you take once a week or less often, that can actually rebuild the bone a bit. She should definitely be taking calcium and eating a good diet. Any sort of weight-bearing exercise would be good, like lifting weights or using resistance bands. (At 64, she might feel that her knees are not up to the jumps!) Walking and dancing can be good, as can most yoga--I don't think she wants to do the very twisty poses. She certainly doesn't want to fall and should be doing something for her balance--tai chi, yoga, or just things like trying to stand on one foot, then trying to stand on one foot with her eyes closed, etc.

Is there a local senior center? They often have appropriate classes. It would be worth hiring a personal trainer for a session or two if you could find one who is sympathetic and knowledgeable.

The best thing you can do for your mum is to find an exercise program and do it with her--your own bones will thank you for it!

Boniva is a wonderful med for osteoporosis, but it is a prescription med.

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She should definitely take the meds if they are that bad, she should ask her doc if there are any alternate meds that she could take instead. A doctor's advice is much better than most of what you will hear on this site. There are several types of Women's multivitamins that have added minerals including calcium, but I believe that they target PREVENTING osteoporosis, not treating it.