DXA Bone Density Testing

 We further evaluate your current health with our Hologic DXA Bone Densitometer.  This machine is similar to an x-ray but emits less radiation than flying on a coast-to-coast flight and one-tenth of a standard chest x-ray.  It is the gold standard for looking for loss of bone density and for following treatment programs.  There are other screening machines which look at the heel or forearm but unless you have had a scan which looks at the L1-L4 Lumbar Spine, Hip and forearm you really don't know what your status is regarding your bone density. 

This state-of-the-art diagnostic tool calculates your total bone mass density and the bone mass density of the hip and lumbar spine. Your results are compared to a young person with maximum bone density (T Score) and with someone your age (Z Score).  These scores indicate if you have decreased bone density and will predict your risk of future problems. For every 10% of bone lost, the risk of fracture doubles. 

Bone Health and Osteoporosis
A Report of the Surgeon General

In 2004 the Surgeon General of the United States, Richard Carmona,  issued his first report concerning Bone Density Problems.  It is a sobering document which indicates that loss of bone density is a much more serious problem that we have previously thought and unless we change our eating and exercise habits the problem will progress very rapidly.

Already, 10 million Americans over the age of 50 have developed severe bone thinning or osteoporosis; an additional 34 million have started down that road and have an increased risk of fractures. To avoid bone loss, Carmona’s report recommends getting the recommended daily amounts of calcium from leafy green vegetables, milk and cheese, and of Vitamin D; maintaining a healthy weight and being physically active; and trying to reduce the risk of falls. Ignoring the problem is expensive. Americans spent as much as $18 billion on hospital, physician and nursing home care to treat the 1.5 million fractures attributed to osteoporosis in 2002. The cost could double or triple in coming decades.

 Many people think of osteoporosis as a disease of elderly women that causes them to appear stooped over.  These vertebral fractures that cause the hunching over (called "dowager's hump"), result in pain, loss of height, reduced lung capacity and decreased exercise tolerance.  But this is only seen when the loss of bone density is at its late stages. 

We develop our bone density between about age 13 and 23.  After age 25, everyone begins to lose bone at a slow but steady rate.  Some people, especially young during their teenage years never develop their maximum bone density.  This can be due to eating disorders such as anorexia, low calcium intake, too many sodas and sometime due to too much exercise which results in amenorrhea. Estrogen balance is disrupted when amenorrhea occurs and bone formation is impaired. This is called The Female Athlete Triad, eating disorders, menstrual disturbances and low bone mass.

 

This is an example of the L1-L4 Spine of a 30 Year old Female enrolled in our SuperSlow Zone Program.  At her young age she has moderate osteopenia of the L1-L4 Spine and only 83% of the bone density of a Young woman of 30.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her Right Hip has only 88% of a Young Woman. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Left Forearm has only 93% of the Bone Density of a Young Woman.

These are disturbing findings in a woman so young.  But, the good news is now she knows that she never developed maximum bone density and that she needs to be very faithful about exercise and nutrition to improve her bone density.  Her history reveals minimal calcium intake and lots of  "Dr. Pepper" and no exercise.

 In women, after menopause, the rate increases. While most fractures due to osteoporosis usually do not develop until around age 65, osteoporosis has a long, quiet development period when there are no symptoms at all.  It is important for young and middle aged adults to become aware of osteoporosis while there is still time to prevent it.  Osteoporosis is not just a disease of women.  Men account for 20% of those with osteoporosis.  Most people do not know they have osteoporosis because there may be no symptoms until they break a bone.  By that time, the disease is far advanced.  Women with histories of dieting or eating disorders early in life may never achieve maximum bone density and unwittingly set themselves up for problems in their 50’s.

In our clinic we routinely perform DXA bone density testing on our clients enrolled in our SuperSlow Zone Programs.  After the scan we will spend about 20Minutes going over the scan and your rise factors found on our comprehensive "Risk Factor Questionnaire".  We have discovered many young ladies in their 30's with early signs of Osteopenia.  In addition, men are not immune to loss of bone density and many feel that this is a problem that is extremely under diagnosed in men.  In our experience it is rare to find normal bone density in a man who has a  very stressful lifestyle such as a professional or a entrepreneur. These men with lots of stress in their lives have many factors which impair bone health.  Stress lowers Testosterone and Growth Hormone levels which are good for bones and raises cortisol levels which is bad for bone health.  In addition, these men often do not get enough good restorative sleep when repair and growth occur. And to make things worse, they don't exercise, eat poorly and may smoke or take too much alcohol. And we have yet to see a man who takes a Calcium Supplement regularly!!

We submit a detailed report for the referring M.D. and the patient gets a report also with our recommendations.

Our recommendations always include SuperSlow® Strength Training which was developed in the early 1980's by Ken Hutchins.  He was working with Nautilus at the time and Nautilus was given the "Nautilus Osteoporosis Project" and asked to design a strength training program for frail ladies with osteoporosis.  The Original Nautilus Protocol was a 2 second Positive, 4 second Negative repetition.  The ladies were hurting themselves moving the weights this fast, so Ken slowed it down to 10 seconds up and 10 seconds down.  The ladies could do this, they got a lot stronger and bone density improved, however little data was forthcoming due the the crude measurements of bone density at that time.  To Quote Ken Hutchins "And if we can assume the body to be logical then bone strengthening should result from muscular strengthening"  It would make no evolutionary sense to allow the muscle to get stronger and not allow the tendon and bone attached to the tne don to get stronger at the same time.  Since aerobics does not build strength, it is a poor choice to build bone density.

EARLY DETECTION of Bone Density Loss, TREATMENT with SuperSlow and proper nutrition, AND PREVENTION ARE OBVIOUSLY FAR BETTER ALTERNATIVES THAN THE DISABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS DISEASE.

Some common osteoporosis risk factors include:

  • Estrogen deficient postmenopausal women
  • Caucasian or Asian Race
  • History of Fracture as an Adult
  • Maternal history of osteoporosis or other 1st degree relative
  • High caffeine intake
  • Smoking and high alcohol consumption
  • History of eating disorder (Often seen in young women)
  • Low calcium intake
  • Weight less than 127lbs
  • Athletic Amenorrhea "Female Athlete Triad"
  • Inadequate physical activity
  • Chronic corticosteroid use
  • Hi levels of Stress
  • Any organ transplant or autoimmune disease.

When Should I be Scanned?

1.  Age 25-30 to identify women who may not have achieved full bone mass density early in life.

2.  Age 40-45 to identify Bone Mass Status prior to Menopause. Men should get a baseline scan at this time.

3.  Age 50-55 to identify Bone Mass Status in the early post menopausal years and to determine if there is increased fracture risk.

4.  If you have any of the risk factors listed above you should have a baseline DXA scan to determine your Bone Mass Density.

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