Recent Advancements in Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis with Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Long Way from Lab Bench to Bedside

Osteoporosis is becoming more prevalent in the ageing society, however, its treatment is still a problem for both society and individuals. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long history in treating osteoporosis and is receiving increasing attention. Multiple formulas of TCM showed satisfactory effects in treating osteoporosis in both animal models and clinical patients. However, because TCM usually consists of multiple plant and/or animal products, it is difficult to clarify the mechanism of TCM according to the requirements of Western medicine regarding purity, efficacy, dosage, and safety. With increasing researchers have started to investigate the TCM using modern scientific tools such as bioinformatics and network pharmaceutics in osteoporosis and the addition of TCM in the latest version of International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11 version, 2019) by WHO, TCM is showing large potential in treating osteoporosis although there is still a long way. The review aimed to summarize recent advancements of TCM treating osteoporosis.