{ Specialized Womens Care

DEXA - Osteoporosis Screening and Counseling

Dual X-Ray Absorptiometry - DXA Scan

Until recently, osteoporosis could not be easily diagnosed until a fracture occured. Today new technology allows doctors to quickly identify patients at risk of bone fractures before one occurs, allowing them to begin treatment programs that help prevent fractures from occuring in the first place.

DXA scans are considered the gold standard technique for detecting osteoporosis and measuring bone density because they are extremely accurate and non-invasive. A DXA scan involves a low dose of radiation (about 1/30 of the radiation in a regular chest X-ray, less radiation exposure than an average airplane flight, and less radiation than two hours of direct sunlight exposure) that rapidly scans your bones to determine bone density within minutes.

A DXA scan is a painless, non-invasive test similar to an X-ray. You will be asked to lie still and quitely for a few minutes while the equipment scans your body. You don't even have to take your clothing off as long as you're not wearing any metal.

Only doctors, clinicians and technicians who have been trained by the International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) are certified to read DXA scans. The Women's Center is the only facility in Central Oregon that has three trained and ISCD certified DXA scan technicians. In fact, it's the only facility that offers DXA scans.

Who should have a DXA scan? All women age 65 and older. All men aged 70 and older. Anyone who has broken or fractured a bone before. Anyone with a disease or medication associated with osteoporosis. Anyone considering treatment for osteoporosis. Women who have been on Hormone Replacement Therapy and those who haven't. Anyone being treated for osteoporosis, to monitor the effects of therapy.

Call The Women's Center to find out more about DXA scans, osteoporosis prevention and treatment.

Information about DXA scans kindly provided by The ISCD Web Site