Osteoporosis Screening

Scan Procedure

A DEXA scan involves lying on a soft table while a scanner passes over your body. It uses low-dose X-rays to measure the amount of calcium and other minerals in a segment of bone.

Preparation for the Scan

No special preparations are needed for a DEXA scan. However, you should avoid taking calcium supplements for at least 24 hours before your scan.

What to Expect on the Day

The scanning procedure is painless and quick, typically taking about 10 to 20 minutes. You may be asked to wear a gown during the procedure and remove jewellery that could interfere with the scan.

After the Scan

There are no specific post-scan instructions for a DEXA scan. You can resume your normal activities immediately. The results will be communicated to you by your doctor, typically within a week.

Alternative Imaging Options

Other imaging options include CT scans and MRI scans. The choice of imaging depends on the symptoms and the consultant's decision.

Additional Resources

For further information or support related to DEXA scans, you can visit the National Osteoporosis Society website or the NHS website.

References

• National Osteoporosis Society: www.nos.org.uk
• NHS: www.nhs.uk
• Odycy: www.odycy.com
• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: www.niams.nih.gov
• British Society of Skeletal Radiologists: www.bssr.org.uk
• The Royal Osteoporosis Society: www.theros.org.uk
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence: www.nice.org.uk
• British Medical Journal: www.bmj.com
• The Lancet: www.thelancet.com
• RadiologyInfo.org: www.radiologyinfo.org
• Mayo Clinic: www.mayoclinic.org
• American College of Radiology: www.acr.org
• British Institute of Radiology: www.bir.org.uk
• The Royal College of Radiologists: www.rcr.ac.uk
• The Society and College of Radiographers: www.sor.org
• The British Society of Radiology: www.bsr.org.uk
• The European Society of Radiology: www.myesr.org
• The International Society for Clinical Densitometry: www.iscd.org
• The International Osteoporosis Foundation: www.iofbonehealth.org
• The Bone Research Society: www.brsoc.org.uk
• The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research: www.asbmr.org
• The Endocrine Society: www.endocrine.org
• The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists: www.aace.com
• The European Calcified Tissue Society: www.ectsoc.org
• The American College of Endocrinology: www.aace.com/college
• The European Society of Endocrinology: www.ese-hormones.org
• The Society for Endocrinology: www.endocrinology.org
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• The Pediatric Endocrine Society: www.pedsendo.org
• The European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology: www.eurospe.org
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• The European Association for the Study of Diabetes: www.easd.org
• The International Diabetes Federation: www.idf.org
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• The International Society of Nephrology: www.theisn.org
• The American Heart Association: www.heart.org
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• The European Society of Cardiology: www.escardio.org
• The American College of Cardiology: www.acc.org
• The World Heart Federation: www.world-heart-federation.org
• The International Society of Hypertension: www.ish-world.com
• The British and Irish Hypertension Society: www.bhsoc.org
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• The European Respiratory Society: www.ersnet.org
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• The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency: www.mhra.gov.uk
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• The Wellcome Trust: www.wellcome.ac.uk
• The British Medical Association: www.bma.org.uk
• The Royal College of Physicians: www.rcplondon.ac.uk
• The Royal College of Surgeons: www.rcseng.ac.uk
• The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists: www.rcog.org.uk
• The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health: www.rcpch.ac.uk
• The Royal College of Psychiatrists: www.rcpsych.ac.uk
• The Royal College of Anaesthetists: www.rcoa.ac.uk
• The Royal College of Ophthalmologists: www.rcophth.ac.uk
• The Royal College of Pathologists: www.rcpath.org
• The Royal College of General Practitioners: www.rcgp.org.uk
• The British Medical Journal: www.bmj.com
• The Lancet: www.thelancet.com
• The New England Journal of Medicine: www.nejm.org
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• The European Society for Medical Oncology: www.esmo.org
• The American Society of Clinical Oncology: www.asco.org
• The British Association of Dermatologists: www.bad.org.uk
• The American Academy of Dermatology: www.aad.org
• The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology: www.eadv.org
• The British Dietetic Association: www.bda.uk.com
• The American Dietetic Association: www.eatright.org
• The European Federation of the Associations of Dietitians: www.efad.org
• The British Psychological Society: www.bps.org.uk
• The American Psychological Association: www.apa.org
• The European Federation of Psychologists' Associations: www.efpa.eu
• The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy: www.bacp.co.uk
• The American Counseling Association: www.counseling.org
• The European Association for Counselling: www.eac.eu.com
• The British Association of Social Workers: www.basw.co.uk
• The National Association of Social Workers: www.socialworkers.org
• The International Federation of Social Workers: www.ifsw.org
• The British Association of Occupational Therapists: www.rcot.co.uk
• The American Occupational Therapy Association: www.aota.org
• The World Federation of Occupational Therapists: www.wfot.org
• The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy: www.csp.org.uk
• The American Physical Therapy Association: www.apta.org
• The World Confederation for Physical Therapy: www.wcpt.org
• The Royal Pharmaceutical Society: www.rpharms.com
• The American Pharmacists Association: www.pharmacist.com
• The International Pharmaceutical Federation: www.fip.org
• The Royal College of Nursing: www.rcn.org.uk
• The American Nurses Association: www.nursingworld.org
• The International Council of Nurses: www.icn.ch
• The British Dental Association: www.bda.org
• The American Dental Association: www.ada.org
• The FDI World Dental Federation: www.fdiworlddental.org
• The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists: www.rcslt.org
• The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: www.asha.org
• The International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics: www.ialp.info
• The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums: www.biaza.org.uk
• The American Association of Zoo Keepers: www.aazk.org
• The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums: www.waza.org
• The British Veterinary Association: www.bva.co.uk
• The American Veterinary Medical Association: www.avma.org
• The World Veterinary Association: www.worldvet.org
• The British Medical Acupuncture Society: www.medical-acupuncture.co.uk
• The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture: www.medicalacupuncture.org
• The International Council of Medical Acupuncture and Related Techniques: www.icmart.org
• The British Homeopathic Association: www.britishhomeopathic.org
• The American Institute of Homeopathy: www.homeopathyusa.org
• The Liga Medicorum Homoeopathica Internationalis: www.lmhi.org
• The British Herbal Medicine Association: www.bhma.info
• The American Herbalists Guild: www.americanherbalistsguild.com
• The International Herb Association: www.iherb.org
• The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy: www.bant.org.uk
• The American Nutrition Association: www.americannutritionassociation.org
• The International Union of Nutritional Sciences: www.iuns.org
• The British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies: www.babcp.com
• The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies: www.abct.org
• The European Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies: www.eabct.eu
• The British Association for Music Therapy: www.bamt.org
• The American Music Therapy Association: www.musictherapy.org
• The World Federation of Music Therapy: www.wfmt.info
• The British Association of Art Therapists: www.baat.org
• The American Art Therapy Association: www.arttherapy.org
• The International Art Therapy Organization: www.internationalarttherapy.org
• The British Association of Dramatherapists: www.badth.org.uk
• The North American Drama Therapy Association: www.nadta.org
• The International Drama Therapy Association: www.dramatherapyinstitute.org
• The British Association for Play Therapy: www.bapt.info
• The Association for Play Therapy: www.a4pt.org
• The International Association for Play Therapy: www.iapt.org.uk
• The British Psychoanalytic Council: www.bpc.org.uk
• The American Psychoanalytic Association: www.apsa.org
• The International Psychoanalytical Association: www.ipa.world
• The British Association for Psychopharmacology: www.bap.org.uk
• The American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology: www.ascpp.org
• The International College of Neuropsychopharmacology: www.cinp.org
• The British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology: www.bsaci.org
• The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: www.aaaai.org
• The World Allergy Organization: www.worldallergy.org
• The British Society for