Recently Diagnosed or Relapsed? Stop Looking For a Miracle Cure, and Use Evidence-Based Therapies To Enhance Your Treatment and Prolong Your Remission
Multiple Myeloma an incurable disease, but I have spent the last 25 years in remission using a blend of conventional oncology and evidence-based nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle therapies from peer-reviewed studies that your oncologist probably hasn't told you about.
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Can Myeloma Bones Heal?
Can myeloma bones heal? Can fractures caused by multiple myeloma heal? I think it is interesting that the video below has MM experts saying YES while the study linked below says…sort of…
If you’ve been diagnosed with MM, your first priorities are to diagnose and rreat with medication and/or surgery. I say to treat because MM can weaken your bones and treatment, either bisphosponates or denosumab, can reduce your risk of fracture.
But long-term healing can result from non-conventional therapies such as exercise and supplementation. And, of course, managing your MM to keep your bones healthy.
What are evidence-based non-conventional bone health therapies?
1. Dietary Interventions
- Plant-Based Diets: Diets rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains provide antioxidants, potassium, and magnesium, which may support bone health by reducing bone resorption.
- Fermented Foods: Foods like yogurt, kefir, or kimchi can improve gut microbiota, potentially enhancing calcium and magnesium absorption.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Found in fatty fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts, omega-3s have anti-inflammatory properties that may benefit bone density.
2. Physical Practices
- Yoga and Tai Chi: Low-impact activities improve balance, flexibility, and muscle strength, reducing the risk of falls and fractures. Some studies suggest these practices may have a modest positive effect on bone mineral density (BMD).
- High-Impact Loading Exercises: Activities like jumping or vibration therapy may help stimulate bone growth in specific populations, though results are context-dependent.
3. Herbal and Nutritional Supplements
- Isoflavones: Plant compounds found in soy may mimic estrogen and help improve bone density, particularly in postmenopausal women.
- Herbal Remedies:
- Horsetail (Equisetum arvense): A source of silica, which supports bone formation.
- Turmeric (Curcumin): Anti-inflammatory properties may protect against bone loss in conditions like osteoporosis.
- Black Cohosh: May support bone health by modulating estrogen-like activity, though evidence is mixed.
- Strontium Supplements: Strontium ranelate has been shown to reduce fractures, but its use is regulated and requires medical oversight.
- Collagen Peptides: Early evidence suggests they may promote bone matrix health.
4. Mind-Body Therapies
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): Chronic stress increases cortisol, which can lead to bone loss. Mindfulness practices may indirectly benefit bone health by reducing stress.
5. Alternative Modalities
- Acupuncture: Limited studies suggest it may help with bone pain and possibly bone metabolism, but evidence is not robust.
- Energy Therapies (e.g., Reiki, Qigong): Anecdotal evidence and small studies suggest these may support overall health, but direct effects on bone health are unclear.
6. Probiotics and Prebiotics
- Gut health significantly impacts calcium absorption and bone metabolism. Probiotics like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains, as well as prebiotic fibers, have been investigated for their role in supporting bone density.
7. Functional Foods
- Fortified Foods: Foods enriched with bioavailable calcium, vitamin D, or magnesium can provide an alternative or supplemental way to support bone health.
- Seaweed (e.g., Algae): Rich in calcium and magnesium, it offers a plant-based source of essential minerals.
Can myeloma bones heal? Yes. But let me be clear. Not if the MM patients relies on bisphosponates (zometa, aredia, etc.) and chemotherapy.
I was young (37) and relied on evidence-based non-conventional therapies such as:
- Nutritional therapies,
- Lifestyle therapies,
- Supplementation
I mention age because my belief is that the young MM patient has a better chance of healing bone damage than the older MM patient does.
Email me at David.PeopleBeatingCancer@gmail.com if you have any questions about MM and your bones.
Thank you,
David Emerson
- MM Survivor
- MM Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
What to know about bone lesions that develop due to multiple myeloma
“Multiple myeloma (MM) is a type of blood cancer that affects plasma cells in the bone marrow. It damages the bones and affects the production of healthy blood cells. Those with MM can develop lesions in their bones…
Lytic lesions are treatable, though they may never fully heal. However, treatments can help stabilize existing fractures, slow the progression of MM bone disease, and reduce the risk of severe bone complications….
MM can weaken bones, causing them to develop holes. Doctors refer to these holes as lytic lesions.
According to the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF), more than 8 in 10 people with MM develop bone problems during the course of the disease, and around 7 in 10 of these people experience lytic lesions in the spine.
Other common areas for lytic lesions to develop include:
- the pelvis
- the ribs
- the skull
- the long bones of the arms and legs…
Doctors may use the following imaging tests to diagnose and monitor MM-related bone disease:
- X-ray: This type of imaging is the standard of care for diagnosing bone disease in suspected MM.
- Computerized tomography (CT) scan: The IMF notes that the National Comprehensive Cancer Network lists CT scans as one of two preferred imaging tests for diagnosing MM bone disease.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan: This imaging test is sensitive to detecting early focal lesions in the bone marrow.
- Positron emission tomography (PET) scan: This type of scan can detect changes to bones and soft tissues. Doctors may use PET scans to diagnose MM bone lesions and assess treatment responses…
Medications
Two types of BMAs that doctors use to treat MM bone disease are bisphosphonates and monoclonal antibodies (MAs).
Bisphosphonates are small molecules that bind to the surface of damaged bones, where they inhibit and destroy osteoclasts. Examples include Aredia (pamidronate) and Zometa (zoledronic acid or zoledronate). Doctors administer these medications intravenously — directly into the vein…
Surgery
Lytic lesions in the spine can cause vertebral compression fractures (VCFs), which can result in pain and disability.
Moreover, VCFs may cause the vertebral bones to collapse and press on the spinal cord. Spinal cord compression is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment.
There are two types of minimally invasive surgery that may help to treat VCFs — vertebroplasty and balloon kyphoplasty…
Can myeloma bones heal Can myeloma bones heal