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Dr. Joshua Schacter, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who performed over 15,000 surgeries, chose to walk away from the traditional medical model.
We talked about why he made that decision and what he’s doing now to help patients heal without relying on surgery, bone medications, or steroid injections. Dr. Schacter’s story is personal, powerful, and eye-opening — especially for women dealing with joint pain and osteoporosis.
What I love about his approach is that it aligns so closely with what I teach: bone loss is not just a number on a scan. It’s a metabolic, inflammatory, and hormonal issue that requires a whole-body, root-cause solution.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Why surgery and bone medications are often used too soon—and the risks they carry
- How bioidentical hormone therapy (BHRT) can help protect your joints, muscles, and bones
- The surprising connection between gut health, inflammation, and bone loss
- How to shift from symptom management to true healing
- The role of strength training in maintaining bone density and aging strong
What We Talked About:
- Dr. Schacter’s personal story and shift to functional orthopedics
- Why bisphosphonates like Fosamax may not prevent fractures
- The long-term dangers of steroid injections
- The gut-bone connection and how to address it
- BHRT as a powerful tool for postmenopausal bone health
- The power of muscle and movement for aging with confidence
Let’s Stay Connected:
Debi Robinson
Website: https://www.debirobinson.com
Instagram: @debirobinsonwellness
Dr. Joshua Schacter
Website: https://pinnaclesportsmedicine.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinnacleintegrativeorthopedics/
Podcast Subscribe Links - Reversing Osteoporosis
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Oxalates, also known as oxalic acid, are naturally occurring compounds found in many plants, vegetables, and fruits. They are part of a plant’s defense mechanism against predators and can be found in high concentrations in foods like spinach, rhubarb, beets, nuts, chocolate, tea, and certain beans.
Regarding bone health, oxalates can bind to minerals such as calcium in the gut, forming calcium oxalate. This compound is not easily absorbed by the body, meaning the calcium that could have been utilized for bone strengthening is instead excreted. This process can potentially lead to lower calcium availability for bone health, which can be particularly concerning for individuals at risk of osteoporosis or other bone-related issues.
However, for most women, dietary oxalates do not pose a significant threat to bone health, especially if their diet is balanced with enough calcium and they do not have a history of kidney stones.
Your gut is crucial for stronger bones for several reasons:
- Nutrient Absorption: The gut is where most nutrient absorption occurs. For bones to be healthy and strong, they need a variety of nutrients, particularly calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamin D. A healthy gut efficiently absorbs these essential nutrients from your diet and facilitates their transportation to the bones.
- Gut Microbiome and Bone Health: Research has shown that the gut microbiome (the community of bacteria living in your intestines) can influence bone density. Certain gut bacteria help in producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate, which have been shown to promote bone health. SCFAs can enhance the absorption of minerals necessary for bone strength and play a role in reducing inflammation, which can negatively affect bone health.
- Hormone Regulation: The gut helps regulate hormones that are involved in bone metabolism, including insulin, thyroid hormones, and sex hormones like estrogen. For example, estrogen is vital for bone density, and gut health can influence estrogen levels through the enterohepatic circulation, where estrogens are processed in the liver and intestines.
- Reducing Inflammation: Chronic inflammation, which can stem from poor gut health, is linked to many conditions that compromise bone strength, such as osteoporosis. A healthy gut helps to reduce systemic inflammation, protecting bones from inflammatory damage.
- Immune System Modulation: The majority of the immune system is located in the gut. An imbalance in the immune system can lead to autoimmune conditions, some of which affect the bones. Maintaining gut health helps to ensure the immune system works correctly, protecting against autoimmune reactions that could impact bone health.
In essence, maintaining a healthy gut contributes significantly to stronger bones by ensuring the effective absorption of vital nutrients, regulating hormones, reducing inflammation, and supporting a healthy immune system. Therefore, a diet rich in bone-healthy nutrients, prebiotics, and probiotics, along with lifestyle factors that promote gut health, is key to maintaining strong bones.