Osteoporosis Management - Dr. Krupali Desai
Krupali Desai is an experienced ayurvedic physician with an MD in Ayurveda from India. For the last 10 years, she has applied principles of ayurveda toward restoration of physical, mental and spiritual well-being. She completed her Master’s in Public Health at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Currently she practices ayurveda at Swarthmore Wellness Center, Swarthmore, PA. She is a member of the Integrative Oncology research team at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and is working on projects focusing on the role of complementary and alternative medicine in cancer care.
Abstract: Osteoporosis is a disease of the skeletal system characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue. It is a global public health problem affecting more than 200 million people worldwide. In the U.S. alone, 10 million individuals are estimated to already have the disease and almost 34 million are estimated to have low bone density, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis and fractures. Being a woman is one of the major risk factors of osteoporosis since studies show that 80% of those affected by osteoporosis are women. Conventional therapies for osteoporosis have been effective, but are expensive, and their extensive use has been associated with various side effects. There is a growing interest in complementary and alternative approaches that are safe and cost-effective. Ayurveda may be effective in addressing the above limitations of existing treatment options for osteoporosis. In this paper an attempt has been made to describe and evaluate Ayurvedic treatments that are considered important in restoring balance of Asthi Dhatu as per ayurveda.