The science of Osteogenic Loading started in 1892, when Dr. Julius Wolff established the Law of Bone Transformation.  Now call Wolff’s law, it states that bones remodel and adapt their architecture in response to mechanical loads placed upon them. In layman's terms, it means if we apply enough force to challenge our skeletal system, it will adapt to build new bone. 

You’ve likely been doing things to strengthen your muscles most of your life, but building bone is different. In 2012, Kevin Deere took the research to the next level, working to understand how much force is needed to build bone.  Turns out it is a lot more than our muscles, which is why so many people can be surprised by a bone loss diagnosis and why traditional exercise does not increase bone strength.  It takes about 2.5 times your body weight to strengthen the bones in your upper body and 4-7 times your body weight to trigger bone growth in your lower body.

The real key is how to apply these loads to the body safely.  Much of the research on osteogenic loading is related to the use of impact force, but for most of us, that is not going to be a safe method of applying load to our skeletal system.  We are not professional gymnasts trained to stick the landing.  The other important factor is that we are actually trying to achieve axial compression of the bone.  Our bones have a built-in suspension system and under pressure they actually flex in their lengthwise direction (think wrist to elbow or ankle to knee).  This allows the body to absorb a certain amount of force to prevent injury or fracture.  That compression is what triggers the adaptive response in the body to strengthen and build bone.

The good news is that there is a much better method of applying this force to our bodies, and that is exactly what OsteoStrong does. OsteoStrong has developed 4 isometric exercises that enable you to safely apply the necessary amount of force to your system to trigger axial compression which leads to the benefits of increased bone density, strength, joint strength, improved balance, and better posture.  Also understand that these loads are not achieved on day 1, there is a ramp-up period where you gradually increase the force each week until you meet and eventually exceed the load needed to build bone.

We understand this is hard to believe. There are two main answers to this question. The first is that the goal with osteogenic loading is to create a certain amount of axial (lengthwise) compression in the bone. This is what truly triggers the adaptive response in the body to grow bone. In our exercises, when we achieve that, you only need to hold that compression for about 5 seconds. We have 4 unique exercises where the coach ensures you are in your safest and most effective position, walks you through the engagement-hold-disengagement cycle of the exercise, reviews your results in real-time, and then you are done. Secondly, the bones have about a 5-7 day cycle for growth and recuperation.  While it may seem counterintuitive, doing this process more often does not help. Triggering the bone, then giving it the time it needs to do its job, is the most effective way to manage this process.

Unfortunately, we get this question a lot.  Oftentimes it is because this is not considered a medical procedure, therefore traditional doctors may not have been trained on this.  However, the science of osteogenic loading goes back to the late 1800's when Dr. Julius Wolff understood that bones adapt to the mechanical forces placed upon them.  Since then, the science has been further researched, refined, and put into practice by wellness centers, with OsteoStrong being at the forefront. OsteoStrong has been around for over 13 years, with 210+ locations internationally, and we have delivered over 25 million sessions to our members. We highly encourage you to give your doctor our contact information as we are always working to educate and develop strong relationships with everyone in the medical and wellness communities.

Our primary focus for members is their safety, and I would argue that this process is safer than going to the gym, for 5 reasons:

1. This process is isometric, meaning you are not working through a range of motion.  This is especially helpful for members that have joint issues or pain.  It also minimizes many of the variables that often get people hurt at the gym or at home.

2. When doing these 4 exercises, we are putting you in your most biomechanically effective position, which is not only your strongest position but also your body’s safest to bear weight.

3. This is a coach-guided program, you do not do this on your own.  Think of this as a certified personal trainer that is going to guide your exercises every time.

4. Our systems measure the force you are applying to yourself in real time.  Along with this comes a very safe engagement-hold-disengagement cycle.  Meaning you spend several seconds slowly increasing your force, then holding, then slowly disengaging.

5. Our equipment is not doing anything to you, you are the one applying the necessary force.  We teach people how to listen to their bodies through the engagement cycle so any adjustments that are needed become obvious.

What we love about this process is there are many ways to track our progress.  

Let’s start with quantitative results (i.e. the data):

• Bone Density - we are looking to achieve about 5% bone density improvements per year.  Some studies show participants gaining much more than that.  And others that may be dealing with significant bone detractors and may be looking to just prevent any further loss.  The standard in the US for bone density measurements is called a DXA scan.  Insurance typically covers this at 65, but we also partner with some organizations that can provide DXA scans for $100 or less.  At Lake Country we already have dozens of members getting follow-up bone scans with some pretty incredible results ranging from stabilizing their bone loss to over 20% BMD improvements.
• Bone Quality - this one is more challenging as accessibility to bone quality measurements is more limited and costly.  The 2 common forms are a DXA scan that includes a Trabecular Bone Score (TBS) and REMS (Radiofrequency Echographic Multi-Spectrometry) which can give you a fragility score.  We provide recommendations on how members can get REMS scans.
• Grip Strength - a key indicator to building both skeletal and muscular strength is grip strength.  We monitor this every 90 days and see improvements ranging from 5% to over 25%.
• Balance - another key benefit of strengthening our entire frame (bones, muscles, and joints) is an increase in stability, which we can measure by timing how long you can stand on one foot and graduating to a point of balancing with your eyes closed.  Improvements range from 50% to over 300%.
• Gains in Strength - our specialized equipment is designed to capture your session data every week, and you get access to all of that information.  It is exciting to watch members’ gains in strength as they progress through our program.  It is possible, after about 18 months, for someone to double their overall strength.

Let’s’ move on to the qualitive possibilities (i.e. how you are feeling):

One of our favorite parts of this program is to see how it can positively impact members’ quality of life.  Scroll down a little on this link to see over 5,000 5 Star Reviews on OsteoStrong.  https://experience.osteostrong.me/affiliate-lake-country

Members report the following improvements:

• Strength - noticeable changes in the ability to lift objects, manage pets, and play with grandchildren.
• Stability - significant changes in balance, fall prevention, and overall ability to walk through more challenging terrain.
• Joint Strength - noticeable changes in joint mobility and flexibility, which leads to reduced pain.
• Reduced Pain - noticeable changes in reduced joint pain, back pain, and inflammation.  
• Stamina - greater ability to work in the yard longer, feel more comfortable on long trips, get moving right away after getting out of bed, walking and hiking much longer distances, increased race/competitive performance, among many others.
• Better Sleep - better overall activity and modalities like red light and BioCharger can help regulate circadian rhythm.  This is a huge factor in giving the body time to rest and heal.
• Confidence - our favorite feedback is when fear transitions to confidence.  Fear causes people to do less and when people feel stronger and safer, they start living again, leading to better overall health and happiness.

Our mission is for you to have your physcial freedom for as long as possible - to add quality years to your healthspan.  We love being part of our members' journeys and do not take for granted the trust put into us.

We know the decision on whether to take or continue a pharmaceutical for bone loss is complex.  While there are many drug options, the most commonly prescribed treatments are designed to inhibit osteoclast function, such as bisphosphonates like Fosamax, Reclast, and Boniva followed by some options to increase osteoblast function, usually classified as anabolic drugs like Forteo, Tymlos, and Evenity.

Here’s how this works: our body uses osteoblast cells to build bone (bone formation), and osteoclast cells to break down bone (bone resorption).  This is a natural remodeling process that has been happening since you were born.  Somewhere in our 30’s or 40’s is when the ratio of bone formation and resorption flips in the wrong direction.  

Bisphosphonates inhibit osteoclast function, attempting to slow down the rate of bone loss.  The challenge with this is that while you may technically be building bone density, you are doing so through the accumulation of older bone.  This is why one of the common side effects is what is called an atypical femoral fracture, putting your femur - the strongest bone in your body - at risk.  There are several other side effects that I will not cover here, but you should take the time to understand these. 

Since these drugs can only be taken for a limited amount of time, the next question is, what happens when I stop taking the drug?  The answer to that is usually…take another drug. So where does this cycle end?  And lastly, once the pharmaceutical route comes to an end, it is possible to see more rapid loss of bone as the body gets back to it’s normal bone remodeling process, sometimes putting people right back to where they would have been without the drug.

OsteoStrong is very different, working to trigger the formation of new bone and osteoblast activity.  Aside from having no side effects, this strengthening process also comes with increased bone density, strength, joint strength, improved balance, and better posture.  New bone is also more resilient and fracture resistant in comparison to older bone which helps increase our durability.

I can tell you that many of our members either did not have success with the pharmaceutical route or they simply didn’t want to chance the side effects.

This can be a complex subject and we are here to help.  Call us anytime and we can answer any questions you have.

Check back here each week for more answers to FAQ!  Thanks for visiting!