We’ve developed a comprehensive six-step process that acts as your personal health roadmap, to follow towards your health goals.
Healthy bones bear not only a load of your body, but also a load of being able to live without fear of falling or breaking a bone or healing slowly and having to miss out on life. However, with time, even the healthiest of bones alter. Age causes the inner structure to thin and minerals to become depleted and the density starts to decrease. To others this transition is slow and controllable. In other cases, it is lost earlier and more rapidly and thus exposes the person to more injury.
Bone health is one of the pillars of a longer and more active life, as we see it here at Longevity Clinic. A great number of our patients visit us with no symptoms at all only to find out that their bone density is less than they thought it was. Some already possess risk factors, such as having a family history of osteoporosis, some medical conditions, or habits that weaken the bones. The similarity is that with early diagnosis everything is different.
We are doing this because we use DEXA Bone Mineral Density Scanning which is commonly accepted as the gold standard of bone strength. This improved technology not only informs us of where your bone health is currently, but it provides trends over time, allowing us to intervene early with treatment, nutrition regimes, or lifestyle changes that can really make a difference.
We can tie the results of your scan to a broader health plan because we offer services in so many areas of longevity, including weight loss programs, hormone health support, menopause management and metabolic testing. We do not want to see figures in a report. We are examining your eyes, your life and the means to enable you to continue to move on, strong and confident, years to come.
A DEXA scan or Dual X-ray Absorptiometry is a basic medical diagnostic scan that focuses on the interior of your bones to calculate their density. It is like a photograph of the minerals that comprise your bones, in particular calcium. The more dense the bone the stronger it becomes.
The test functions by directing two very low-energy X-ray beams at two different energies through your bones. The passed through amount provides us with accurate data on the tightness of packing of such minerals. It is this precision that makes DEXA superior to the older procedures; it is sensitive enough to detect minor changes in bone density before it causes a problem.
The very thought of any type of scan might cause a slight hesitation in the minds of many, but a DEXA scan is simple and painless. It has no enclosed tunnel, no big noisy machines, no injections or contrast dyes. You just lie on a cushioned table as the scanner arm passes over you slowly. The scan tends to concentrate on your hips and lower spine since they are good indicators of how strong your bones are and how prone you are to fractures.
The radiation dose during a DEXA scan is very minimal, much lower than a chest X-ray, and about the same as the radiation you encounter on a daily basis in life. The whole appointment can sometimes take less than 15 minutes and you can resume your day instantly.
In the case of such an important test as bone density, precision is not the full story. You must also have the right individuals, the right environment and the right follow up. That is the difference with us.
We bring precision and personalisation together in medicine. We will also spend time to learn your health background, your present way of life, and your future aspirations. So by doing that, the scan is never a test, it is a part of a larger plan that will keep you strong.
Here’s why many choose us for their DEXA Bone Mineral Density Scan:
Choosing the right clinic means you don’t just get a number you get guidance, support, and a clear direction forward.
People reserve a DEXA scan primarily to know how their bones are doing here and now, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. This scan opens a door to prevention, early intervention and personalized care.
Some of the greatest benefits are prevention and early detection. Osteoporosis and osteopenia have the tendency to progress without any noticeable symptoms or pain until a fracture happens. When these conditions are detected early, they can be treated and lifestyle changes can be made to allow bone loss to be slowed down or even reversed.
Scan is also useful in the discovery of risk of fracture prior to injury occurrence. We can design ways to protect your bones once we understand that they are more delicate, be it strength training, dietary modifications, or specific supplementation.
Since DEXA can be so accurate, it is also the best way to monitor bone health over time. You will be able to see whether your bones are remaining strong, getting stronger, or losing density which provides a picture to us to make necessary changes to your plan.
Lastly, a DEXA scan will provide us with the information that we require to customize nutrition, exercise and lifestyle changes to your specific requirements. It is not common advice, it is the plan that is designed according to your body.
In short, the key benefits include:
Bone health is not a one-time concern. It’s something that deserves regular attention, and a DEXA scan gives you the clarity to make the right moves now, not after a problem arises.
Some people think bone weakness is something that only happens to us when we’re older and we’ve already got issues. The fact is it can begin much earlier and creep in in the background. If you don’t check in you don’t get it. That’s why for some people, getting a DEXA scan sooner rather than later can make all the difference between intervening early and suffering a fracture later.
You might want to put it on your to-do list if you’re in one of these groups:
If you’re unsure whether you fit in, it’s worth having a chat with a health professional who can look at your full picture. Sometimes the reason to scan isn’t obvious until you think about your history and habits.
When you go in to get a DEXA scan, it is not a long visit in the hospital, or a large imposing machine. It is in fact one of the simpler health checks to undertake.
You will initially be asked to fill in some basic information after which you will be led to the scanning room. The bed is unenclosed, padded, nothing claustrophobic. All you do is lie down and the scanner arm takes its time going over your body. No pain, no needles, no weird sounds. Hip and lower spine are the most scanned areas; these are the areas that give us the most information about your general bone strength.
It is fast as well. That is about 10-15 minutes of lying down to standing up. Put on something loose and comfortable. Avoid anything with metal such as zippers, belt buckles, underwires, or bulky jewellery, they may get in the way of accuracy. No problem, in case you forget you can just remove those prior to starting.
We maintain a cool and easy atmosphere in the room so you are not hurried and pressured. You are not in and out, like a number, the idea is that you feel you are informed of what is going on, at all times.
Once the scan is done, the numbers come in the form of a T-score. It’s not a school grade, it’s a way of comparing your bone density to the average of a healthy young adult.
Here’s how it generally works:
The point of the scan isn’t to hand you a label and send you on your way. It’s to give a starting point for a plan. If your bones are in great shape, that’s a sign to keep doing what’s working. If they’re starting to lose density, there are steps you can take right now to slow or reverse it. If they’re already fragile, we work on ways to reduce your risk and strengthen what you have.
At the clinic, your scan is always followed up with a conversation. Not rushed, not full of jargon, just clear, practical steps you can take from here.
A DEXA scan is one piece of the puzzle. It tells you where you stand today, but improving or maintaining bone health often needs a mix of approaches. That’s where having everything under one roof makes life easier.
We can provide you with nutrition support to ensure your diet is aligned with the needs of your body with regard to calcium and vitamin D among other important nutrients. When exercise is in your plan, we can help direct you to weight-bearing and resistance exercise that helps keep muscles and bones strong as a unit.
When the hormones are involved in this role as is normal among women in menopause and occasionally men with certain imbalances we can consider hormone health treatments that can help preserve bone. And for people who need it, there’s supplement advice so you’re not wasting money on products that don’t do much.
Because we work across so many areas of longevity, bone health never gets treated in isolation. Whether you’re here for weight management, hormonal support, or overall wellbeing, your scan results feed into a bigger plan for keeping you active and strong in the long term.
If you want to know where your bones stand, the best time to find out is before there’s a problem. A short scan today can save you years of dealing with avoidable fractures and slow recovery times.
Booking is simple, you choose a time, come in, and leave with a clearer picture of your bone health. You’ll get your results explained in a way that makes sense, and you’ll walk away with a plan that fits your life.
Your bones support every step you take. Make sure they’re ready for the years ahead.
Bone densitometry, also called a bone mineral density test or DXA scan, uses dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to measure bone mass and bone mineral content, especially in key areas like the lumbar spine and hips. A regular X-ray can show a bone fracture after it’s happened, but it can’t give the precise density reading that a BMD scan provides.
A DEXA or bone densitometry scan uses very low levels of X-ray technology, much less than you’d get from a standard CT scan. The exposure is minimal, and most people don’t need any special precautions for it. It’s one of the safest imaging tests for checking bone health.
Yes, if you were sent here by a referring doctor, we can forward your bone density test results directly to them. That includes your T-scores, the bone mineral content readings, and notes on any changes we see in your bone mass.
If your results show low bone mineral density, calcium supplements or vitamin D can be part of the plan, but they’re not the only answer. Depending on your bone mass and overall health, we might also recommend exercise, nutrition changes, or follow-up tests like blood tests to check nutrient levels.
Yes, there are other methods, like quantitative ultrasound or certain peripheral devices that can check heel or wrist bone density. They can be useful in some cases, but they’re not as accurate as a DXA or BMD scan for tracking bone changes over time, especially in main fracture-risk areas like the lumbar spine.
