FAQs

There are no side effects from this exam. A DEXA uses a very small amount of ionising radiation, but is a significantly lower does than a normal x-ray, which means the radiographer will be able to stay in the room with you during the scan.

A copy of the report will go to the referring practitioner, which is normally your GP. Digital copies of all studies are stored on our secured database for comparison with any future examinations.

A DEXA is best used as a progress tool to track your muscle gains and weight loss. We recommend having a DEXA once before (or at the start of) an exercise regime and once every six months so that you can quantify your progess.

DEXA stands for Dual Energy X-ray Absorbimetry. It uses low-energy dual-energy x-rays which are absorbed by your body tissue in different proportions depending on what they are made of. By doing this we can calculate what percentage of muscle and body fat you have, and where it is located.

After having a DEXA body composition can, you are given a report which breaks down where your lean tissues and fatty tissues are located within your body. You can figure out which body parts you need to train more, and which body parts are best.

Please inform booking staff or the radiographer of any recent imaging appointments involving barium, the injection of contrast material for a CT scan or a radioisotope injection. If you are pregnant, or if there is any chance you may be pregnant, a DEXA scan is not suitable for you. Please discuss other options with your referring doctor.

You may be asked to change into a gown or remove metallic objects from your body, such as jewellery, zippers, buttons or pins to avoid interference with your scan. If you have had surgery to implant metal into the spine or hip, please inform the radiographer as this will interfere with your scan. If you are pregnant, or if there is any chance you may be pregnant, a DEXA scan is not suitable for you. Please discuss other options with your referring doctor.

Your exam will take approximately 15–20 minutes, depending on how many areas of the body we will need to scan in your circumstance.  You will not need to hold your breath, but you must lie still during the scan to avoid blurring of your image.

DEXA is a very safe scan, and there are no complications associated with the procedure. The radiation doses are very low and are less than one days’ exposure to natural background radiation.

A Bone Mineral Densitometry examination is a comfortable, easy test that does not require an injection.  You will be asked to lie on your back to allow measurement of the lower spine and both of the hips. Occasionally a forearm is scanned. The technique used in the test uses a very small amount of radiation, so please inform staff if there is any possibility of pregnancy. A radiographer will remain in the room for the entire examination.

You will need to book an appointment for a DEXA scan. Please withhold any tablets that contain calcium for 2 days before your scans. If you have had any CT scans involving contrast, barium studies, or nuclear medicine scans, you will need to wait 7 days before having a DEXA scan to ensure your results are accurate.