Osteoporosis A NDRE A RENTE A, MD AND R O SS RENTE A, MD IRST THE GOOD NEWS. incomplete view, since all mental/spiritual factors With a combination of weight-bearing that might be potentially contributing are left out. F eurythmy exercises, healthful foods, anthro- The National Osteoporosis Foundation defines the posophic remedies, stress reduction meditations. word osteoporosis to mean “porous bone.” When and a positive life-style changes, osteoporosis viewed under a microscope, healthy bone should could be prevented and/or considerably slowed look like a dense honeycomb. However, when down in our clinic. osteoporosis occurs, the holes and spaces in the As an example: our 67-year old patient Mary honeycomb are much larger than in healthy bone. (name changed) could not believe that improve- Osteoporotic bones that have lost density or mass ment would be possible without the use of po- consist of an abnormal tissue structure. Then as tentially very toxic conventional medications, until the bones become less dense, they weaken and she came to our clinic. After having gotten worse are more likely to break.1 for years (her bone mass loss was more than 3%), Osteoporosis is a worldwide concern for both she increasingly feared that bone fractures were men and women, but predominantly for women; inevitable. And yet she saw a constant increase in and the numbers of a!ected individuals clearly bone mass and overall health improvement year seem to be rising. after year by following our treatment program. In the seven years that we have been able to follow HERE ARE SOME HELPFUL STATISTICS. her she has added more than 2% bone mass in- Worldwide, 200 million women have osteoporosis, stead of continuing to loose bone mass, as would and one in three women over age 50 will experi- 2 be typical. ence osteoporotic fractures. In fact, worldwide, an osteoporotic fracture occurs every three seconds.3 NOW THE DETAILS OF THIS GOOD NEWS. By 2050, the worldwide incidence of hip fracture is Osteoporosis is a medical condition in which the expected to rise by 240% in women, compared to bones become brittle and fragile. The cause is typi- rates in 1990.4 In the United States it is estimated cally attributed to hormonal changes, mostly those that by 2020 more than 61 million people will be accompanying aging, or deficiency of calcium or a!ected. More than 80% of all people a!ected by vitamin D. We will see later why this is a woefully osteoporosis are women.5 LILIPOH WINTER 2019 23 W O M EN’S H E ALT H WHEN VIEWED UNDER A MICROSCOPE, HEALTHY BONE SHOULD LOOK LIKE A DENSE HONEYCOMB. 24 LILIPOH WINTER 2019 SYMPTOMS AND RISK FACTORS MORE COMPLETE VIEW Usually the patient does not notice symptoms Commonly, osteoporosis is viewed as being such as pain accompanying progressive bone caused by physical changes in the body, most of- mass loss. By the time pain in the spine and loss ten resulting from calcium or hormonal deficits. But of height are registered, the disease is already far is that the whole picture? Think of the astronauts advanced. Consequently, both for the purpose who, after even a short flight in outer space with of uncovering osteoporosis and for monitoring zero gravity, develop severe osteoporosis. Have progress, bone density tests are recommended to they developed instant deficiencies? be done in advance. In the so-called bone mineral Or keep in mind the following. Women with density test, osteoporosis is assessed by what’s depression or anxiety, or those exhibiting high known as the statistical T-score, which is just a sensory sensitivity, are more likely to show signs comparison between the average normal bone of osteoporosis. Moreover, chronic psychologi- density and the bone density of the specific person cal stress is known to contribute to the problem being tested. A normal T-score is -1.0 SD or higher discussed here.9 (meaning from one standard deviation below the We can better understand this mind-body con- average of the population to above the average nection with the help of a more complete view of of the entire population). An osteoporosis T-Score the human being, such as has been worked out is -2.5 SD or lower.6 Values based on population by anthroposophic medicine based on Rudolf averages are always problematic. Note that if the Steiner’s research.10, 11, 12 entire population develops lower bone density, a In essence, there are three quintessential ac- lower number can suddenly become normal. tivities that are typical for the human being: they There is a range of FDA-approved drug treat- are di!erentiated and conscious thinking, feeling, ments available for osteoporosis. Di!erent studies and willing. While the conventional physiological have shown that, (depending on the drug and the view connects all three with the nervous system, patient population), these treatments reduce the anthroposophic research has found that a more risk of vertebral fracture by between 30 to 70%; refined observation shows that while thinking is as- non-vertebral fractures by between 15 to 20%; and sociated predominantly with the nervous system, hip fractures up to 40%.7 the feeling life is based on the heart-lung rhythms, However, the side e!ects of these drugs can and the will works mostly with the metabolism. For be devastating. For example, prolonged treatment great significance in the context of our theme is the with Fosamax, a drug from the bisphosphonates further understanding that the thinking processes drug class, could result in atypical femur fractures are related to the life processes (the etheric body); themselves (!); resorption and destruction of the our feelings are a manifestation of the would (the jaw bone; and esophageal cancer. Experts recom- so-called astral body); and, now crucial, willing is mend that the patient’s need for bisphosphonate an expression of the Ego itself, the self-experience treatment should be reviewed every three to five of the human being. This view makes the problem years.8 More details about drug treatments would of osteoporosis understandable in both its psycho- go beyond the scope of this article. The necessity, logical and physiological manifestations. the kind, and the duration of such interventions To repeat: it is the Ego that wills. It is essen- should be evaluated together with a knowledge- tially our individuality that causes a movement able health professional. that “works”; that is active in the world itself. It is LILIPOH WINTER 2019 25 W O M EN’S H E ALT H important here to understand that a large part of as a feeling of being irritable, overwhelmed, this Ego activity is directed toward overcoming depressed, scared; experiencing stress and gravity. Hence the uprightness of the human nervousness with the senses being overly being is not just an abstract expression of the impressionable. These are all conditions that human individuality, but rather it is a concrete have been shown to be associated also with a expression of the Ego “willing, working” to as- lessened bone mass. Attitudinal changes in the sert itself in the outer, gravity-related world. spiritual life of the Ego, withdrawal tendencies (or That is, the Ego works against resistance. This push-back from outer factors), and other factors movement against gravity, this penetration into may result then secondarily in changes in the sub- the depth of our bones contributes, on the one stances in the depths of the metabolism. These hand, to an inner, conscious awakening; and on connections between the more spiritual aspects the other hand, it directs a movement toward of the individuality and the physical changes in depositing more substance into the will-area of the metabolism and bones have been made also the body making stronger muscles, and making from the opposite direction: studies have shown denser bones with more calcium. Only such an that people with the most osteoporosis have an IF THE EGO “FORGETS” TO INCARNATE FULLY INTO THE WILL, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO ITS BONES, IT CAN BE AWAKENED AGAIN BY GIVING THEM MORE WEIGHT TO CARRY. explanation, which goes beyond consideration of accompanying statistically significantly lower purely physical substance, and sees in the Will of cognitive performance than people with less loss the human Ego, the core of the individuality, the of bone mass.9 reason for the physical processes accounts for The normal progression of the human biog- all the osteoporosis phenomena. raphy confirms these ideas as well. In the begin- When the Ego is less engaged in the Will, the ning of life, the young person wants to incarnate; result will be a withdrawal from the world. On to go more deeply into the world, into matter. the psychological level this withdrawal manifests After all, this is the purpose of having come out 26 LILIPOH WINTER 2019 of spiritual cosmic realms—to live and learn on However, anthroposophic medicine has other earth. In the encounter with the earth-element, important contributions to make in the form of resistance is experienced; and in order to stand movement exercises, diet, and especially rem- “with both feet on the ground,” to be upright, edies that are less well-known; these will be the bones become more solid, made denser by discussed below. All anthroposophic interventions various substances that will be mentioned later. are specifically designed to help the Ego bet- Toward the opposite end of life an excarnating ter take hold of the Will and prevent or reverse tendency begins, a subtle loosening from the earth’s concerns; and this brings a withdrawal an inappropriately early “excarnation process.” from the Will, from the metabolism, from the work (Incidentally, many times the Ego is more than in the outer world; and with that a decrease in willing to be well-incarnated and do its work on bone density appears.