How to Calculate Bone Mineral Density

Osteoporosis is the deterioration of bone mineral, which can cause your bones to be more easily susceptible to bone fractures. To determine your risk of developing osteoporosis, or for a doctor to determine whether you are improving after osteoporosis treatments, doctors need to perform some sort of bone mineral density test to make decisions regarding your health care. Bone mineral density is the strength and density of the bones in your body, which helps determine how strong they are and how susceptible they are to breaks and fractures.

Instructions

• 1

  Ask your doctor to start with the most common and accurate methods of testing bone mineral density, a DEXA scan. DEXA stands for dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, and can easily detect signs of osteoporosis in its earlier stages. You do not have to change clothes or go through an extensive test -- it is as simple as an X-ray, and can be done every two years to check where you are at in terms of your bone density.

• 2

  Consider a peripheral DEXA scan. It is similar to an X-ray procedure, but tests just a certain part of your body, such as your hand or foot. They are faster and more convenient than a typical DEXA scan, but do not give you a complete scan of the body. It is a quick, easy and less extensive way of testing your bone mineral density while receiving results immediately from your doctor.

• 3

  Determine if a CAT scan will work out better for you if a DEXA scan will not. A CAT scan, or computerized axial tomography scan, is a scan of your complete body and can test for bone mineral density. However, they take longer and are much more expensive than DEXA scans.