Q.  Tessa could you send me some info on “Post Polio and Osteoporosis” please.  Margaret in Queensland

A.  There are a number of articles on the Internet but this is our experience here in WA on Post Polio and Osteoporosis.  Bone density is maintained by muscle pull on bone.  Of course if you have a weak muscle from polio  eg a leg muscle, then that bone gets less weight bearing exercise pull, where the muscle is weaker, so is more liable to develop osteoporosis.

So to help maintain bone density we need to keep the muscles working as well as they can and exercise them But this means within their capabilities without getting fatigue or overuse, which can cause further muscle damage and so will end up with even less muscle pull.

Carnitine helps with muscle energy and muscle fatigue, providing the ability to create energy from protein foods eg meat.  Carnitine is also in red meat but often for polios the amount they need is more than can be provided from diet alone, so supplemental carnitine plus protein foods helps our muscles to keep working.  (Avocado is a good source of carnitine too.)

Magnesium is needed for the relaxation phase of muscle action and is also needed to maintain bone density.  So magnesium is doubly important for osteoporosis in post polio.  Magnesium in the diet comes primarily from leafy green vegetables.  People in WA have always needed more magnesium so have taken Epsom Salts, Milk of Magnesia, etc to get it.

Calcium is needed for the contraction phase of muscle action and also for bone density but often in Australia and particularly in WA, we get plenty of calcium in our diet as our foods are grown on limestone rich soil. (Deficient in most other minerals but high in calcium!) So often taking extra calcium actually increases tight muscles and muscle pain.  Path Lab results here in WA rarely show a person to be low in calcium.
SO WE DON’T NECESSARILY NEED EXTRA CALCIUM for OSTEOPOROSIS.

Boron (available as Borax powder) is the mineral that acts like a cement to hold other minerals in the bone cell.  In WA particularly, we are low in boron too. (Paterson’s Curse  - the weed - is prevalent where soil has low boron content.)  Our older polio members tell us that their grandparents knew to lick borax off the end of the finger to get rid of arthritis - and it still works very well for bone problems today!  We have seen people here record increased bone density by taking extra boron and magnesium.  Taking extra boron and magnesium gets rid of old and new fracture pain within a few days!  (Boron normalises oestrodial and testosterone levels, too so no need to take HRT.)

To get all these minerals absorbed thru’ the gut, we need to have enough acid in the stomach at the same time as the minerals.  So a swig of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar with meals or supplements will help with absorption.

The other essential ingredient for bone density is Vitamin D.  Normally in Australia we should get enough from exposure to sunlight, but with all the skin cancer concerns and use of sunscreens now we may actually be low in Vitamin D.  So getting some sun early morning or late afternoon is a good idea or take some cod liver oil (available in capsule form these days).  It will provide Vitamin A and essential fatty acids as well as Vitamin D.

I hope this answers your query.       Tessa Jupp RN