1School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
2Department of Family and Community Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
3School of Chinese Medicine for Post Baccalaureate, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
4Department of Chinese Medicine, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
【Summary】
Osteoporosis is one of the most important public health issues. Two categories of osteoporosis have been identified: primary and secondary. Though no disease was so-called “osteoporosis” in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM),ancient Chinese medical literature had descriptions or records on similar bone problem, such as atrophic debility of bones, withered bone, bone contraction, bone pain or numbness. The goal of prevention and management of osteoporosis is to reduce the risk of subsequent osteoporotic fractures. The gold-standard measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) in modern medical practice is dualenergy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Modern medical practice in osteoporosis include nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic management. Chinese and Western medicine possess their own strengths; complementary Chinese and Western medicine is the trend of the future. This study will prompt medical staff and the public on the prevention and attention of osteoporosis, and as a reference for the development of integrated medicine.
Keywords:osteoporosis, bone mineral density, atrophic debility of bones