Your bones do a lot of work. Over time they lose some of the calcium and other minerals that keep them strong. A bone density test measures the strength of your bones to see if you have osteoporosis, or bone loss. Osteoporosis may have no symptoms, but it can lead to bone fractures and breaks.
Your doctor may recommend you get regular bone density tests if you're a woman over 65 or a man over 70, or are at risk of bone loss for other reasons. CHA is an easy, convenient place to get your bone density testing done.
How to Schedule an Imaging Study
CHA patients who have an order for imaging - please call 617-665-1298.
External facilities/providers - please fax orders to 617-665-3265 with the following information:
> Authorization status and Prior Authorization number, start and end date
> Ordering Provider NPI, name, address, phone, and fax
> If no authorization is required, please document this on the order
How to Prepare
Getting the test is simple, quick and painless. Our bone density scanners use what's called Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) to take a picture of your spine, hip, body and wrist, and calculate their density. All you have to do is lie on a bed underneath a scanner while it moves around you to capture images.
A computer compares your bone strength and risk of fractures to that of other people the same age and to young people at peak bone density (around age 30). The test takes about 20 minutes. You are only exposed to a small amount of radiation—about the amount you get during a cross-country airplane flight.
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