Osteoporosis is one of the most common conditions I manage, and one of the most misunderstood. Patients come in with beliefs picked up from family, friends, the internet, or sometimes from outdated medical advice. Some of these beliefs are harmless. Others lead to real harm: people avoiding effective treatment, doing the wrong kind of exercise, or assuming they're not at risk when they are.

Here are the myths I hear most often, and what the current evidence says.

"Osteoporosis only affects older women"

The myth

Only elderly women get osteoporosis

Many patients assume bone loss is something that only happens to women well past menopause and that men are not at risk.

The evidence

One in three men over 60 will fracture

Men account for 30% of hip fractures. Post-fracture mortality is higher in men than women. Yet only 10 to 20% of men who fracture are investigated.

Osteoporosis is more common in women, particularly after menopause, because the rapid drop in oestrogen accelerates bone loss. But it is not exclusive to women, and it is not limited to older age groups.

Younger people can also develop osteoporosis, particularly those with conditions that affect bone metabolism (coeliac disease, thyroid disorders, inflammatory bowel disease), those on long-term corticosteroids, and women who experienced early menopause before age 45.

37%
of men die within the first year after a hip fracture, compared with around 28% of women.
RACGP/HBA guideline 2024

The belief that osteoporosis is only an "old woman's disease" means men and younger adults at risk are often not screened, not diagnosed, and not treated.

"Walking is enough to keep my bones strong"

The myth

Regular walking protects your bones

Walking is healthy, so it must be good for bones too. Many patients believe their daily walk is all the bone protection they need.

The evidence

Walking does not stimulate new bone formation

The forces are too low and too repetitive. Healthy Bones Australia is clear: walking is not a therapeutic recommendation for building bone.

Walking is genuinely good for you. It has cardiovascular, metabolic, and mental health benefits. But the mechanical forces involved are too low and too repetitive to stimulate new bone formation. Your skeleton adapts to those forces quickly, and after that, walking no longer triggers remodelling.

What does work is resistance training (lifting weights, using resistance bands) and impact exercise (jumping, landing, stair climbing). The LIFTMOR trial showed that supervised high-intensity resistance training improved lumbar spine bone density by 2.9% over 8 months in postmenopausal women with low bone mass. The control group, doing low-intensity home exercise, lost 1.2% over the same period.

Walking is part of a healthy life. It is just not a bone-building intervention on its own.

If bone density is your concern, you need to add resistance and impact training. For more detail, see Does exercise actually build bone?

"If I drink enough milk, I won't get osteoporosis"

The myth

Calcium intake alone prevents osteoporosis

Dairy is good for bones, so more dairy must mean stronger bones. Calcium is often seen as the single factor that matters.

The evidence

Calcium is one factor among many

Bone density depends on genetics, hormones, exercise, vitamin D, body weight, smoking, alcohol, and medical conditions. Calcium alone is not protective.

Calcium is essential for bone health, and dairy is a good source. But calcium intake alone does not prevent osteoporosis. A 2015 systematic review found that calcium supplements alone (without vitamin D) did not significantly reduce fracture risk in adults who were not calcium-deficient.

For most Australians over 50, the recommended daily calcium intake is 1,300mg for women and 1,000mg for men aged 50 to 70 (increasing to 1,300mg after 70). A glass of milk provides around 300mg. Three to four serves of dairy per day gets most people close. Supplements can fill the gap if diet falls short, but they are not a substitute for the other factors that determine bone health.

"Bone medication will rot my jaw"

The myth

Bone medication causes jaw damage

ONJ is widely feared, and many patients refuse treatment because of it. Online sources often conflate cancer-dose rates with osteoporosis-dose rates.

The evidence

ONJ at osteoporosis doses: 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 100,000 per year

Over 90% of ONJ cases occur in cancer patients receiving much higher doses at much higher frequency. The risk profiles are not comparable.

This is the myth that causes the most harm. Fear of osteonecrosis of the jaw is the single biggest reason patients refuse or stop bone medication.

ONJ does occur. It is a real complication where a small area of jawbone fails to heal properly, usually after a dental procedure. But the rates in cancer treatment (1% to 15%) are vastly different from the rates at osteoporosis doses (1 in 10,000 to 1 in 100,000 per year). The dose of IV bisphosphonate used for cancer is given monthly. For osteoporosis, it is given once a year.

1,000x
Medication is roughly 1,000 to 10,000 times more likely to prevent a fracture than to cause ONJ at osteoporosis treatment doses.
Everts-Graber et al. 2022, RACGP/HBA guideline 2024

Routine dental care is safe while on bone medication. For more involved procedures, your dentist and GP can assess your individual risk together. For more detail, see the article on osteoporosis medications

"It's too late once you've already broken a bone"

The myth

A fracture means the damage is done

Many patients feel that if they have already fractured, it is too late for treatment to make a meaningful difference.

The evidence

After a fracture is when treatment matters most

A first fracture doubles refracture risk. Medication after hip fracture reduces further fractures by 35% and mortality by 28%.

The opposite is true. After a fracture is when treatment has the highest absolute benefit. The first two years after a fracture are the highest-risk period, sometimes called the "imminent fracture risk" window. A vertebral fracture makes a subsequent fracture within the next year four times more likely.

<⅓
Fewer than one-third of Australians who have a minimal trauma fracture receive bone medication afterwards. This is the treatment gap.
RACGP/HBA guideline 2024

Medications reduce fracture risk by 40 to 70% at the spine. Starting treatment in those early months is when it makes the biggest difference.

"Exercise is dangerous if you have osteoporosis"

The myth

Lifting weights will break fragile bones

People with osteoporosis are often told to be careful, and many interpret that as avoiding anything strenuous. This leads to inactivity.

The evidence

Supervised heavy resistance training is safe and effective

The LIFTMOR trial: women with low bone mass lifted at over 85% of their max. Zero fractures. One minor adverse event in 8 months.

This myth keeps people inactive, which makes their bones weaker, their muscles weaker, their balance worse, and their fall risk higher. The fear of exercise is more dangerous than the exercise itself.

The key is supervision. The LIFTMOR results were achieved under close professional guidance, with a month of lighter loads to learn correct technique before progressing. Unsupervised heavy lifting is not recommended. But supervised, progressive resistance training is one of the safest and most effective interventions available.

"Supplements are enough to treat osteoporosis"

The myth

Calcium and vitamin D supplements treat osteoporosis

Some patients take supplements instead of prescribed medication, believing they are doing enough.

The evidence

Supplements support bone health but do not treat osteoporosis

The fracture risk reduction from bone medication (40 to 70% at the spine) is not achievable with supplements alone.

Calcium and vitamin D supplements support bone health, and supplementation in people who are deficient is important. But supplements alone do not significantly reduce fracture risk in people with established osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis treatment means medications that directly alter bone remodelling, combined with targeted exercise and adequate nutrition. Supplements are one part of a broader plan. They are not the plan itself.

"I'd know if I had osteoporosis"

The myth

Osteoporosis has noticeable symptoms

Patients often assume they would feel something if their bones were thinning: pain, weakness, or some other warning sign.

The evidence

Osteoporosis is completely silent until a fracture

There is no pain, no stiffness, no warning. Two-thirds of spinal fractures happen without the person even realising.

You wouldn't know. Your bones can lose significant density without you feeling anything at all. Around two-thirds of spinal fractures present only as gradual height loss or a change in posture.

1.2M
Australians are estimated to have osteoporosis. By 2033, 7.7 million over 50 are projected to have osteoporosis or osteopenia.
Healthy Bones Australia 2024, AIHW

The only way to know your bone density is to have it measured with a DXA scan, which your GP can arrange based on your risk factors. For a full overview, see What is osteoporosis, and could it affect you?

Not sure about
your bone health?

Book an appointment and we can assess your risk factors, discuss whether a bone density scan is appropriate, and put together a plan.

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Common questions

There is no single age. Risk depends on many factors including family history, menopause timing, medical conditions, and medications. Women around menopause and men over 50 with risk factors should discuss screening with their GP. If you have a condition or take a medication that affects bone, the conversation should happen earlier.
Osteoporosis can be treated effectively but is not fully reversible in most cases. The goal is to stop further bone loss, strengthen existing bone, and reduce fracture risk. Medications can increase bone density, and lifestyle measures make a real difference. The earlier treatment begins, the better the outcomes. Newer bone-building medications can produce substantial gains in density for people at highest risk.
No. A DXA scan is quick, painless, and non-invasive. You lie on a padded table while a low-dose X-ray scanner passes over your hip and spine. The whole process takes about 10 to 15 minutes. DXA scans are widely available through radiology clinics and your GP can refer you.
Moderate coffee consumption (up to 3 to 4 cups per day) is not considered a significant risk factor for osteoporosis when calcium intake is adequate. Very high caffeine intake may have a small effect on calcium absorption, but for most people, coffee in moderation is fine. Focus on the factors that make a bigger difference: exercise, calcium, vitamin D, and not smoking.

Clinical information in this article is informed by the 2024 RACGP/Healthy Bones Australia guideline, the Healthy Bones Australia exercise prescription statement (2024), the LIFTMOR trial (Watson et al. 2018), the FREEDOM and HORIZON trials, Sherrington et al. Cochrane review on exercise and falls (2019), and AIHW data on osteoporosis and fractures in Australia. This is general information only. Your GP can advise on what is relevant for your individual situation.

Dr David Nguyen, GP at Pro Health Care Glenelg, Adelaide
Written by
Dr David Nguyen
MBBS · FRACGP

I hear these myths regularly in practice at Pro Health Care Glenelg. I wrote this guide because the gap between what patients believe and what the evidence shows is one of the biggest barriers to getting osteoporosis managed properly.

Learn more about Dr David Nguyen → First published: 28 May 2026 · Last reviewed: 28 May 2026