Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis with Traditional Chinese Medicine Gushukang

As our population continues to age, osteoporosis is becoming more common and burdensome for society. Its treatment is troublesome because its mechanism is complicated and easily hidden behind other ailments and symptoms. In addition, the adverse effect of traditional therapeutic drugs for osteoporosis is another puzzle for both clinicians and patients. The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) known as Gushukang (GSK) has a long history in treating osteoporosis. However, because the formulation of GSK consists of multiple plant products, it is difficult to determine its proper purity, efficacy, dosage, and safety as required by modern medicine. Still, researchers have begun to use modern scientific tools to investigate GSK for treating osteoporosis. Following the inclusion of TCM in the latest International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11, 2019) by the WHO and recent elucidation of the therapeutic mechanisms of GSK in treating diseases, it has been demonstrated that GSK does indeed show potential for treating osteoporosis in the future. This review summarizes recent advances surrounding GSK for the treatment of osteoporosis in both laboratory animals and humans, from complex formulae to single ingredients.