Does treatment reverse osteoporosis damage, or just stall it?

Most treatments for osteoporosis -- like bisphosphonates and SERMS -- work by slowing down the process of bone loss. Since your body is always naturally remodeling bone, slowing down the rate of bone loss may allow it to make new bone faster than you lose it. So in a sense, these treatments can reverse the damage. They allow your bones to become denser and stronger, although your body is doing all the repair work.