Osteoporosis is a disease that involves the gradual loss of calcium, causing bones to become thinner and more susceptible to breaking. More than half of all women over the age of 50 experience some level of osteoporosis.  If not prevented or if left untreated, osteoporosis can quietly progress to the point where a bone breaks.  These broken bones, also known as fractures, occur typically in the hip, spine and wrist and can be extremely painful and difficult to heal.

The good news is that osteoporosis is preventable, treatable and reversible.

A bone densitometry study is quick and painless, and is used to measure bone loss.  The test involves use of an enhanced form of x-ray technology called dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA or DEXA).  The measurement is typically taken of the lower spine and hips. 

What can a bone densitometry test do?

• Detect low bone density before a person breaks a bone
• Predict a person’s chances of breaking a bone in the future
• Confirm a diagnosis of osteoporosis when a person has already broken a bone
• Determine whether a person’s bone density is increasing, decreasing or remaining stable (the same)
• Monitor a person’s response to treatment

Bone density testing is strongly recommended if you:

• Are female
• Are 50 or older
• Are postmenopausal and are not on estrogen therapy
• Have a small and thin body frame
• Have a diet low in calcium and vitamin D
• Smoke
• Drink too much alcohol
• Are male and possess any of the previous 4 risk factors (small body frame, diet low in calcium and vitamin D, smoke, excessive alcohol use)

Upon taking the test, if your bone density is found to be low, you and your primary care physician can work together on a treatment plan to strengthen your bones before a fracture occurs. 

Bone densitometry testing is covered by most insurance plans.

Click HERE for more information on Bone Densitometry