REMS Technology: The New Gold Standard

• What It Is: A revolutionary, radiation-free, ultrasound-based technology for assessing bone health. HyperCharge Health is a designated Center of Excellence for REMS technology, bringing this superior diagnostic tool to the Twin Cities.

• Primary Benefits:

  • No Ionizing Radiation: Completely safe for screening at any age and frequency, eliminating the risks of repeated radiation exposure from DEXA scans.

  • Assesses Bone Quality (Fragility Score): Unlike DEXA, which only measures density, REMS analyzes bone microarchitecture to generate a Fragility Score, providing a more complete picture of fracture risk.

  • Short & Portable: The scan is quick, convenient, and can be performed right here in our office.

  • High Accuracy: REMS provides a highly accurate Bone Mineral Density (BMD) score comparable to DEXA, without the radiation.

• How It Works (The Science): Radiofrequency Echographic Multi Spectrometry (REMS) uses ultrasound waves to analyze the spine and hip. The technology assesses not only the density of the bone but also the quality of its internal microarchitecture. This unique capability allows it to calculate a Fragility Score, which predicts fracture risk independently of bone density.

• The Clinical Power of the Fragility Index

  • A key advantage of REMS is its ability to prevent both under- and over-treatment. The literature and our clinical experience show that some patients may have low bone density (osteopenia on a T-score) but a normal Fragility Score, indicating their bone quality is still excellent. In these cases, we can confidently focus on non-pharmacological strategies and avoid prescribing high-risk medications. Conversely, REMS can identify patients with normal density but poor bone quality who are at high risk and need more aggressive intervention.

Comprehensive Laboratory Analysis

• What It Is: A detailed blood panel to investigate the root causes of potential bone loss and understand the complete metabolic environment that supports your skeletal health.

• How It Works (The Science): A world-class workup for bone health goes far beyond a simple calcium level. Our extensive panels are designed to uncover the "why" behind bone loss. Key markers we analyze include:

  • Vitamin D (25(OH)D): This is a critical hormone for calcium absorption. We target an optimal level of 75 ng/mL, consistent with expert recommendations from the Endocrine Society for bone health. This is achieved through personalized protocols that may include oral supplementation or convenient intramuscular (IM) injections administered here at our Edina clinic.

  • Parathyroid Hormone (PTH): This hormone regulates calcium. An elevated PTH can be a red flag that your body is pulling calcium from your bones to maintain blood levels.

  • Thyroid & Adrenal Function: Imbalances in thyroid and adrenal hormones (like cortisol) can significantly accelerate bone loss. A full evaluation is essential.

  • Sex Hormones: We conduct a full evaluation of Estrogen, Progesterone, and Testosterone in women, and Testosterone in men, as these are powerful regulators of bone remodeling.

  • Inflamatory Markers (hs-CRP): Chronic inflammation is a known driver of bone breakdown. Measuring this helps us address another root cause.

  • Advanced Bone Turnover Markers: For a dynamic picture, we can measure P1NP (a marker of bone formation) and CTx (a marker of bone resorption/breakdown) to see if your body is breaking down bone faster than it's building it.

The Pillars of Lifestyle: Resistance & Protein

• What It Is: The non-negotiable foundation of any bone health program.

• How It Works (The Science): Resistance exercise is crucial. The mechanical stress of lifting weights signals osteoblasts (your bone-building cells) to get to work, laying down new, dense bone tissue.

  This is arguably the most powerful natural stimulus for improving bone density.To support this, adequate protein intake

  (1.2 - 1.6 g/kg of body weight) is essential to provide the amino acid building blocks for the collagen matrix that forms the structure of your bones.

Advanced Muscle Building for Bone Support

• What It Is: The use of cutting-edge technology and nutritional science to supplement traditional resistance exercise, creating a powerful, multi-faceted stimulus for muscle and bone growth.

• How It Works (The Science): Stronger muscles pull harder on bones, a process called osteogenic loading, which is a primary signal for bones to become denser. Our advanced strategies ensure this signal is powerful and consistent.

  • MYOSMD with Fortetropin®: Sarcopenia, or age-related muscle loss, is strongly associated with more rapid bone loss. We combat this with Fortetropin, a patented myostatin inhibitor. Myostatin is a protein that acts as a brake on muscle growth. By reducing myostatin, we help preserve precious muscle mass, which is critical for maintaining the mechanical stress on bones needed to keep them strong.

  • EmSculpt NEO®: Uses HIFEM+ (High-Intensity Focused Electromagnetic) energy to induce supramaximal muscle contractions in targeted areas, creating thousands of powerful pulls on the underlying bone structure.

  • Neuro20 Suit: This full-body EMS suit activates up to 42 muscle groups at once, providing a profound systemic stimulus that enhances the bone-building effects of your workout. This combination of therapies for bone health is unlike anything else offered in Minnesota.

Hormonal Optimization for Bone Protection

• What It Is: The use of bioidentical hormone therapy to restore the powerful bone-protective signals that decline with age.

• How It Works (The Science):

  • For Women: Estrogen is a primary regulator of bone health. Its loss at menopause causes a rapid acceleration of bone loss. For symptomatic women in perimenopause and menopause, Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) is a first-line option for osteoporosis prevention.

    Landmark studies like the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) have confirmed that estrogen therapy significantly reduces the risk of hip, vertebral, and other fractures.

  • For Men: Testosterone is also critical for maintaining bone density in men. The landmark TRAVERSE trial's bone substudy demonstrated that for middle-aged and older men with low testosterone, testosterone replacement therapy significantly increased bone mineral density and estimated bone strength at the spine and hip over two years, providing powerful evidence for its role in preventing osteoporosis in men.

Peptide Therapies for Bone Health

• What It Is: The use of specific signaling molecules (peptides) to support your body's bone remodeling and repair processes.

• How It Works (The Science): We utilize specific peptides with evidence for supporting skeletal health. BPC-157 has been shown in numerous preclinical studies to accelerate fracture healing. Growth Hormone Secretagogues like CJC-1295/Ipamorelin can increase Growth Hormone levels, which plays a key role in stimulating bone turnover and increasing bone mineral density over time.

• Important Safety Information: Peptide therapies are medically supervised and prescribed after a comprehensive evaluation to ensure they are safe and appropriate.

Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) Therapy

• What It Is: A non-invasive therapy that uses safe, low-frequency electromagnetic fields to energize cells and stimulate healing.

• How It Works (The Science): PEMF therapy has been studied for decades for its effects on bone. It has been shown to stimulate the activity of osteoblasts (bone-building cells) and is even FDA-approved as a treatment for healing non-union fractures. As part of our integrative protocol, PEMF is a powerful, non-invasive tool to support bone density.

• Important Safety Information: PEMF is very safe. It is contraindicated in individuals with pacemakers or other implanted electronic devices, and during pregnancy.

An Integrative Approach to Pharmaceutical Care

• What It Is: Our philosophy of working collaboratively with traditional Western medical approaches to osteoporosis.

• How It Works: We believe in a "non-medication first" approach, leveraging all the tools listed above to build a strong foundation. However, we recognize that for patients with severe osteoporosis or a history of fragility fractures, pharmaceutical interventions (like bisphosphonates or other classes of medication) are sometimes medically necessary. In these cases, our program works synergistically with your primary physician or endocrinologist. Our supportive therapies can help build a healthier systemic environment and manage side effects, with the long-term goal of potentially minimizing the duration of these high-risk medications.