Bone Density (DXA) Scan
 Osteoporosis bone sample |
 Normal bone sample |
Osteoporosis is a painless disease that results in weakened bones and increases the risk of broken bones. If you are at risk for osteoporosis, your CCMA physician may order a bone density or dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) test.
The test, performed at CCMA, is easy, painless and only takes about 30 minutes. It involves no needles, shots or medicine. DXA uses a very low dose of X-ray to rapidly scan your bones and convert the information to a number indicating your bone density.
The standard for average bone mineral density (BMD) is a T-score of 0, which means the BMD is equal to the norm for a healthy young adult. Standard deviations measure the units of difference. The more standard deviations below 0 (indicated as negative numbers) the lower the BMD and the higher the risk of fracture.
The information provided by a DXA test helps your physician decide which prevention or treatment options are best for you. Your doctor will want you to develop – or keep – healthy habits such as eating foods rich in calcium and vitamin D and do weight-bearing exercise like walking, jogging, dancing or weight lifting. In some cases, your physician may recommend medication.
The United States Preventive Service Task Force recommends that women age 65 and older have routine osteoporosis screenings as well as younger women and men who have certain risk factors for osteoporosis.
Source: The National Institute of Health