September 2005

Experimental device helps improve bone mass

An experimental device may help prevent and treat the loss of bone density that can lead to osteoporosis, reports the October issue of the Harvard Women’s Health Watch.

Research suggests that a few minutes of standing on an oscillating platform, about the size and shape of a bathroom scale, can do as much for bone density as longer bouts of more typical weight-bearing exercise.

Users stand on the platform while it produces small, barely perceptible vibrations that mimic what muscle cells do during common activities such as standing, maintaining balance, and walking. These tiny muscle contractions exert many small stresses on the bone, which can promote bone-building activity. Bones become stronger literally from the inside out.

The device is not yet available in the United States. A large clinical trial is being planned to gather the data required for FDA approval, although the machine will be marketed in other countries by the end of this year.

Harvard Women’s Health Watch cautions that the device is not intended to replace traditional forms of exercise. But for women who can’t participate in more vigorous physical activity, the device may prove useful.

Source: Harvard Women’s Health Watch, www.health.harvard.edu/women

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