DEXA Scans
In my previous blog post I mentioned bone mineral density. We all know that osteoporosis is the weakening of the bones. The body is stealing minerals from the bones to keep up what it needs. AND when you don’t use your muscles they shrink and the body reads that as not needing all that expensive bone to maintain. Thus the body starts getting rid of the bones.
Now we all know that you need your bones and muscles but as a society we act like we don’t. Sitting for way too many hours a day, not walking enough, not lifting heavy stuff, and not eating enough protein to build muscles.
A Dexa scan is a very low dose x-ray that scans the density of your bones and the software creates the score. Many places that do Dexa scans will also do a body fat percentage for you at the same time. It is painless. Medicare suggests every two years. Most doctors won’t suggest one until you are 65. In my humble opinion that is very wrong. While I am not a doctor, I am very interested in all of us having great health.
Osteoporosis starts in your 30s. By 65 you could have lost up to 30% or more of your muscle and bone density. Get a scan in your 30s, 40s at the latest. I had my first scan at 40, it was fine. By 50 I had osteopenia, a weakening of the bones. That was enough for me to be dedicated to lifting weights. I also started hormone replacement therapy at 56. My scan at age 63 blew the operator away. He also read the results, as I had the scan done at Kinesiology lab at Boise State University - no doctor involved and I paid out of pocket. I had the bone density of a 30 year old. I am planning on the next one this summer to be as good, chemo and all!
However, had I not had a prior scan that showed osteopenia, I might not have been as dedicated to resistance training. Osteoporosis could have set in and I would now be in a world of hurt. Falling off my bike while mountain biking could have broken a hip.
Another reason to get a Dexa scan ASAP: over 50% of the females, 65 and older, who fall and go into the hospital will never walk again. Many will die within a year of the fall. If you do survive the fall and hospitalization, chances are extremely high that you will experience another fracture within a year or two. Do not be one of those women! And, do not wait until 65 to find out that you could be one of the unfortunate ones! Be proactive and a squeaky wheel. Plus if you fall and end up in the hospital, you can’t do art and travel with me! That is sad.
You have to be proactive on your health and advocate for your care. If your doctor won’t help you and order a Dexa, call the human health lab at the your local university, see if they do it. Most states require a doctor’s order for the radiology center to do a Dexa. So shop around, or be pesky and bug your physician. Don’t be afraid to find a new physician if your current one does not listen to you. Women are more in likely to be dismissed, given few or less pain relief and to have real concerns brushed off as all in your head.
A note on Dexa scans: if you can, get it done at the same facility every time that will help with the accuracy of the readings. The machines can vary a bit so it helps to have it done at the same place over a series of years. Because I have moved some, my scans are all different. The one done in 2000 looks very different than the one done in 2010, 2020 varies from 2023. Software and equipment upgrades make a difference.
Osteoporosis can be prevented and even reversed! Collagen and protein intake, weight training, and even hormone replacement therapy are parts of keeping osteoporosis out of your life.