Your bones are the literal foundation for your joints and muscles, and they provide cover for your vital organs. Structure and movement would be impossible without them. The adult body has 206 bones that come in two forms (cortical and trabecular) and are filled with cells responsible for helping your blood, heart, and brain function.
Many conditions affect how well your bones work and can impact your bone density. To assess this impact, a DXA scan, or bone density test, may be necessary. We perform these tests in our office and can help you better understand when one is needed and how they work.
For bone density screenings and other tests, residents of the Beverly Hills, California area can find help from Dr. Shawn Veiseh and his experienced medical team.
Hormones are an important part of how your bone density is maintained, playing a role in how quickly your bones remodel themselves as you age or heal.
These include estrogen and testosterone, which start during puberty, calcitriol, calcitonin, cortisol, insulin, leptin, parathyroid, and thyroid hormones. Some of these simply lower in production as you get older.
The most common reason for bone loss is osteoporosis, which causes your body to reabsorb more bone than it creates. This condition results in the bone itself becoming weaker, making you more prone to fractures and breaks from things like falls and other minor injuries.
In addition to age affecting your risk of conditions like osteoporosis, habits like smoking and alcohol abuse can also increase your risks, along with a lack of physical activity (sedentary lifestyle).
This imaging test examines your bone strength by way of dual X-ray absorptiometry, which is what DXA stands for. Using low-level X-rays, these scans measure the strength and mineral content of your bones which helps determine your risk of fractures and breaks.
The results are measured using a T-score. This is what those scores mean:
Even if your results are in positive numbers, the closer they are to zero, the healthier your bones are. Everyone is at risk for osteoporosis as they age, but women going through menopause experience an increased risk because of a drop in the production of hormones that support bone strength.
A DXA test is vital to understanding your bone strength and helping determine treatment options to lower your score.
A decline in bone density doesn’t often show outward signs, so if you deal with the following issues, it’s probably time to get a DXA test:
Bone density is important to bone strength. A bone density screening can help us identify your risk of bone fractures so we can work with you on preventive measures before you have a devastating injury.
For a bone density test, make an appointment with Dr. Veiseh and our team today. Call our office or schedule a visit online.
