FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
You’ve got questions, we have answers. In fact, one of our primary objectives at OsteoStrong is to help our clients make informed decisions about bone health so that they can lead healthy lives.
We’re here to deliver transparent, trusted information about OsteoStrong, its technology and the science that supports it.
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Our research shows that coming in more frequently actually slows the results of osteogenic loading. Ideally, members hit loads of 4.2 multiples of body weight or more, triggering a bone adaptation. A bone adaptation requires time to grow. If members keep triggering adaptation by coming in for sessions more than once per week, they will actually slow down the process.
In some situations, one session per week is too frequent. For example, if you see that a member’s results are plateauing over a period of time—we define that as a plateau in their strength increases—it likely means his/her body needs more time to adapt to the response. In this scenario, you may want to recommend that the member waits 10 to 15 days between sessions.
Yes. Members will see great results if they do both osteogenic loading and workouts. In fact, they will likely experience strength gains more quickly by doing both—as long as the workout doesn’t come directly before their OsteoStrong session.
It’s not recommended that members work out immediately before their OsteoStrong osteogenic triggering session. Here’s why: during a regular workout, especially weight training, we use up a specific type of fuel called ATP. ATP provides the energy needed to drive many processes in living cells. It is also the fuel a member needs in order to complete a proper osteogenic triggering session.
The published research on this topic does not indicate that bones are strengthened through conventional exercises or weight training. A study published in 2012 identified that the minimum force required to trigger bone growth is 4.2 multiples of body weight (4.2 MOB). Engaging in that amount of force outside of an OsteoStrong center is not recommended for most people. The good news is that our proprietary Spectrum system safely allows members to experience much more than the 4.2 MOB minimum required to trigger the skeletal building response people are looking for.
What we are doing at OsteoStrong is causing tissue growth, and every time the member completes an osteogenic loading session, that growth is triggered. Because the bone fortification process takes between one to six weeks, missing a single session will not affect that process or cause members to lose the results they have gained. How- ever, if members repeatedly miss sessions over an extended period of time, they will continue to degenerate bone and muscle mass on the same slope that is commonly seen after age 30.
Traditional health insurance in the United States does not typically cover OsteoStrong sessions. However, medical savings accounts can be used in many cases.
There are more than 2000 peer-reviewed publications about vibration therapy, the practice of using mechanical products to illicit spinal reflex responses that increase muscle activity potential, as seen in electromyography (EMG) analysis. The most recent meta-analysis attempting to identify optimal settings for muscle activation shows that a frequency between 25 and 45 Hz is optimal, with 30 Hz recommended most for OsteoStrong’s application (Cochrane, 2011).
Results vary from person to person. However, here are some general rules for what our members experience:
- Joint and back pain. Osteogenic loading sessions have an amazing track record for reducing joint and back pain. In most cases, members will see a great reduction in joint and back pain within one to four months of starting OsteoStrong sessions. This reduction is often permanent and complete. However, every person’s joint and back pain is different, and we can’t guarantee results for everyone because we simply don’t know what could be causing the pain.If someone’s pain is stemming from a bone-on-bone condition in which they don’t have any cartilage left, that individual will always have some level of joint pain associated with that condition. When this person completes an OsteoStrong session, he or she is going to be strengthening the ligaments and tendons around that joint, which will cause the joint to separate. When that happens, it will relieve a significant amount of nerve pain. After experiencing this reduction in pain, it is highly recommended that the member continues sessions to help prevent the return of the joint and back pain.
- Bone density increases. Skeletal strength or bone density increases can only be seen on a bone density scan. It usually takes 12-18 months from the time the member starts with OsteoStrong for their DEXA scan to show these results.
- Balance improvements. Most people notice improvements in their personal balance in just one to two sessions, and it generally continues to improve for several sessions afterward.
- Muscular strength. Regardless of fitness level, most people feel gains in overall strength in about four OsteoStrong sessions. Regular sessions enable these strength gains to continue for many years. Some people may have periods of plateauing in their measured strength gains. When this occurs, tell your member to be patient. We’ve seen some people experience many months of steady strength gains only to plateau for several months afterward. However, just when they think they’ve hit their limit, the strength gains typically return and trend upward from there. After more than eight years of sessions, we still have people who show regular strength increases as their skeletal density and strength continue to improve.
- Posture. We have had many members with a severe kyphosis, a curved or humped back, standing straight after between five and 15 sessions.
Compression fractures of the spine are typically caused by abrupt loading, specifically “impact.” This is part of the reason why therapists do not employ impact training as a modality for osteoporosis treatment.
It is possible for someone to abruptly load using an osteogenic loading device, thereby removing the inherent safety aspects of the therapy. However, osteogenic loading therapy was developed to be the antithesis of this. As long as the proper training protocols are followed, the chances of injury are very low. We instruct our members to apply loading in a slow, controlled manner in order to use comfort and neural inhibition as a natural limiter.
It’s worth noting here that the most common causes for compression fractures are coughing and sneezing. Sometimes, people don’t notice they have a compression fracture. If an osteogenic loading user has a compression fracture, we have no way of identifying the cause. These fractures heal on their own and require little medical attention beyond diagnosis. For an excellent description of compression fractures, refer to Brant, William E.; Helms, Clyde A. (2007).
Many individuals who have a history of stress fractures have achieved clear results with osteogenic triggering. However, people with this medical history should consult their physician prior to starting our program, as there could be other factors in their biochemistry that contribute to those stress fractures. We are not medical professionals and do not provide medical advice.
In some cases, yes. In others, no. In this situation, other factors are likely at play, ranging from dietary concerns and chemotherapy to exposure to biochemicals. These members must get approval from their physician prior to starting our program. It is our responsibility to provide them with the appropriate research regarding osteogenic loading and OsteoStrong so that their physician can make the best determination based on their unique medical history.
It is critical that these members speak with their physician about exercise stimulus, specifically pressure response, before engaging in OsteoStrong sessions. Because blood pressure goes up when we are engaging the body to a very high degree, their physician must understand that this osteogenic loading is a high-intensity type of stimulus. We must confirm, through the advice of their doctor, that the osteogenic loading session will not exaggerate or agitate that injury.
You’re bound to experience questions like this: “I have this knee replacement, or shoulder pain, or back pain. Is this a contraindication for using the equipment at OsteoStrong?” The answer is no. In most cases, OsteoStrong delivers proven results for people with joint and back pain. If members are still concerned, reassure them that they do not need to perform a maximum force production from the very beginning.
Yes, to a minimal degree. The body’s primary calorie burning engine is muscle. At OsteoStrong, we trigger tissue growth in the muscle fiber. With this new tissue, people may begin to process glucose better and burn more calories. Although we are helping members improve the engines that allow their body to burn more calories and process glucose a little better, weight loss comes from improved diet in 90% of cases.
Yes, but we do not claim to treat any medical condition. When asked by members, rely on known studies first and member testimonials second. Fibromyalgia is the diagnosis given to unexplained pain. Some individuals are just deconditioned and weak. If they can re-engage and start firing more muscle tissue, they will increase the density of that muscle tissue and, in turn, build bones, tendons and ligaments. Many members with fibromyalgia talk about how they have increased their function, decreased their pain and increased their quality of life through OsteoStrong sessions.
The immediate effects of VibePlateTM include range of motion and mobility changes such as balance and flexibility. Its secondary effects include hormonal changes such as anabolic hormone release, growth hormone increases, serotonin increases, a decrease in cortisol and a decrease in inflammatory markers found in the blood.
Osteogenic impact triggerin’s long-term effects include improved bone density and the density of muscular tissue, which will aid in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes or pre-Type 2 diabetes.
FRANCHISING
One owner must be designated with the responsibility for overseeing the general operations and business activities on a daily basis. In addition, the manager is not required to be an owner but must be designated with the responsibility for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the facility and must devote his or her full-time energy and best effort towards the management, operation, promotion, and growth of the business.
Depending on a number of factors, the total cost to open an OsteoStrong franchise varies from country to country. Please complete the franchise information request form and we can provide this information depending on which country you will be opening a franchise.
No, you do not need to have experience in the medical or health industry to be considered. We look for franchisees that have solid business management skills and a commitment to excellent customer service.