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4499 Medical Drive #225, San Antonio, Texas 78229  210.616.0836 

 

 

DXA Bone Density Testing San Antonio

The Most Complete Evaluation of Your

Bone Health in San Antonio

Call 210-616-0836, Leave Message or

Use Our Encrypted Contact Form! or

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Appointments available usually within 24-36hrs!!

 

We review the results with you immediately after the procedure. 

Takes 1 Hour for these 9 Scans, Analysis and Review.  Includes detailed report for you and your Doctor.

Cost is $300 and we do not bill Insurance.  You can use Your For your DXA Bone Density!

Dr. Christian has been doing DXA Bone Density Testing for over 20 years in San Antonio.  We evaluate your current bone health with our Hologic Discovery A Model DXA Bone Densitometer, one of the most advanced scanners on the market because of it's ability to do lateral scans and the Instant Vertebral Analysis!  This machine is similar to an x-ray but emits less radiation than flying on a coast-to-coast flight and much less than a standard chest x-ray.  It is the gold standard to determine bone density status, your risk for fractures and for following treatment programs.  Dr. Christian is certified in DXA by Hologic and is the Radiation Safety Officer.

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, Bilateral Hips, Bilateral Forearms and an Instant Vertebral Fracture Analysis (IVA) you really don't know the status of your bone health!! 

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. Treatment decisions, in general are based on the T-Scores, or how you compare to a young person (approximately age 30) who has achieved maximum bone density and the recently developed FRAX Score. The World Health Organization has defined Osteopenia as T-Scores of -1.0 to -2.5 and Osteoporosis as T-Scores less than -2.5. 

Our Routine Protocol for Clients Requesting DXA Bone Density Testing

Includes the Following Testing

Lumbar AP (Anterior Posterior) & Supine Lateral Bone Density

Bilateral Hips (Both Hips are Scanned and Analyzed)

FRAX Fracture Risk Analysis (Primarily useful for post menopausal females)

Bilateral Forearms (Both Forearms are Scanned and Analyzed)

High Definition AP & Lateral Instant Vertebral Analysis (IVA) to look for vertebral fractures

and Abdominal Aortic Calcifications

DXA Whole Body Composition with Visceral Fat Analysis

Lumbar AP (Anterior Posterior) & Supine Lateral Bone Density

This is an AP DXA Scan of the L1-L4 Vertebra in a 58 year old post menopausal female. The Total T-score of -0.7 indicates normal bone density but there is evidence of probable artifact elevation of the measurements due to the sclerosis and calcifications seen in the posterior elements (Spinous Processes and Facet Joints), so her true Bone Mineral Density is probably lower. Lateral Views of the spine might give a better measurement. Her Supine Lateral view of the spine is below.

 

This is the Lateral DXA Scan of the L2-L4 Vertebra only available on a few DXA Scanners such as our Discovery A. These Lateral views eliminate any artifact elevation of bone density due to calcifications in the posterior elements and give us a true bone density measurement of these vertebra without any artifact.  This study does indeed show that this lady has Osteopenic measurements in the L2-L4 vertebra which was not apparent in the AP Exam. This information might influence the treatment program for this patient. The scanner also allows for creation of detailed sampling areas in the middle of these vertebral bodies to get a more precise measurement of the bone density in the interior of the vertebra for following response to treatment. 

Bilateral Hips (Both Hips are Scanned and Analyzed)

This is a DXA Scan of the Left Hip in a 67 year old male which shows a T-Score of -1.2 for the Total Hip and a T-Score of -2.0 in the neck. This is a definite diagnosis of Osteopenia of the Hip.  The Right Hip results are shown next.

The Right Hip Scan shows a T-Score of -1.1 for the Total Hip and a T-Score of -2.2 in the Neck of the Right Hip. The FRAX score discussed next uses the lowest Neck Measurement to determine the 10 Year risk of a Hip or other Major Osteoporotic Fracture. 

The Discovery A also automatically calculates your FRAX Score, a tool developed by the University of Sheffield in 2008

to estimate your 10 year risk of either a Hip or other Major Osteoporotic Fracture (vertebral, shoulder, forearm)

The risk is based on the lowest T-Score of the Neck of the Hip, where most fractures occur, your age, race, country

 and 7 questions about your medical history.  

The results shown are in the 67 year old male above and show the influence of drinking

more than 3 units of alcohol a day on the risk of a hip or other major fracture.

These FRAX Scores show the 10 Year risk of a Hip Fracture or other Major Osteoporotic Fracture based on the factors discussed above.  It is apparent that alcohol intake greater than 3 units per day markedly increases the 10 year risk of a Hip Fracture from 2.3% to 3.4% and the risk of a Major Osteoporotic Fracture from 8.5% to 11%. This information might be helpful in counseling a patient about this particular risk factor.

Bilateral Forearms (Both Forearms are Scanned and Analyzed)

These are the forearms scans of a 24 year old Hispanic female. The negative T-scores show evidence that this young lady has lower bone density than females age 30 (T-Score) or females her age (Z-Score). Women continue to develop their bone density up until about age 30 so there still is time to improve these measurements.  Her T-Scores  and Z-Scores of the Femoral Necks and L1-L4 spine also showed that she was lagging behind women age 30 and those her age. Possibly, the failure to achieve bone density equal to her peers was due to her dietary habits. This is a bothersome trend that we are seeing more and more as young women have increasingly bad eating habits and eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.  These scores may improve with attention to nutrition and exercise, but if not addressed, this young lady may enter menopause without ever achieving her maximum bone density as a young adult. 

High Definition AP & Lateral Instant Vertebral Analysis (IVA) to look for vertebral fractures

 

The Discovery A Model allows for both High Definition AP and Supine Lateral Instant Vertebral Analysis of the Spine to look for evidence of Vertebral compression fractures which are sometime silent but when present indicate a significant level of loss of bone density.  Patients with these fractures are considered to have a diagnosis of Osteoporosis and should be treated to avoid future fractures. The Hologic Software analyzes each vertebra separately and can detect compression changes.

 

The Lateral Scan can also be used to detect Abdominal Aortic Calcification which is an indication of significant atherosclerosis and predictive of future heart attacks and stroke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See Detection of Abdominal Aoritic Calcification with IVA

 

 DXA Whole Body Composition Testing

58 year old female, 36.9% Body Fat.Table shows 5 major regions and body fat % in each. We can even define subregions such as chest/back and legs separately.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DXA Body Composition is a research level tool and can be used to help set goals for weight loss and gaining of muscle. You can watch the yellow disappear and the red increase!!    This lady has a body fat % of 36.9%, too high for her age.

 

See our Modified Zone/Paleo Nutrition Prescription and  how we would combine it with Hi-Lo Strength Training to get the body fat % to 25%, much more reasonable for a 58 Year Old female!!

 

 

 

Bone Health and Osteoporosis
A Report of the Surgeon General
Executive Summary

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 30.  After age 30, everyone tends to lose bone at a slow but steady rate.  Some people, especially young women and men during adolescence and young adulthood never develop their maximum bone density.  This can be due to eating disorders such as anorexia, low calcium intake, too many sodas/alcohol/smoking/vaping/drug use 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.

DXA Bone Density San AntonioDXA Bone Density San Antonio

 

 

 

 

 

This is an example of the L1-L4 Spine of a 30 Year old Female enrolled in our Hi-Lo Strength Training 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.

 

DXA Bone Density San AntonioThe Neck of the Right Hip has only 93% of a Young Woman.  DXA Bone Density San Antonio

 

 

 

 

 

 

DXA Bone Density San Antonio

 

The Left Forearm 1/3 measurement has 97% of the Bone Density of a Young Woman.

DXA Bone Density San Antonio

 

These are concerning 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 of bone loss 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 possibly in their 50's or early 60's.  

After the scan we will spend about 20 Minutes going over the scan and your risk factors found on our comprehensive "Risk Factor Questionnaire".  We have discovered many young ladies in their 30's with early signs of low bone density.  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 or Vitamin D 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 Hi Lo Strength Training which was developed in part in the early 1980's by Ken Hutchins, the founder of SuperSlow Strength Training.  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 tendon 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 Hi-Lo Strength Training 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/Vaping 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, even inhalers with steroids.
  • Hi levels of Stress
  • Any organ transplant or autoimmune disease.

When Should I be Scanned?  My Opinion...FWIW

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.

DXA Bone Density Testing

 DEXA Bone Density Testing

 

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4499 Medical Drive #225

San Antonio, Texas 78229

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