PPC Health Library
The standard recommendation: all women at 65 and men at 70 should have a bone density scan (called a DXA or DEXA scan). Earlier testing is warranted at any age after 50 if you have risk factors - a parent who fractured a hip, long-term steroid use, low body weight, smoking, heavy alcohol use, early menopause, rheumatoid arthritis, or a previous fracture from a minor fall. The scan is painless, takes about fifteen minutes, and uses minimal radiation. Osteoporosis is silent until a bone breaks, so the scan is the whole ballgame: it finds risk while there is still time to act on it.
There is no symptom of thinning bone. No ache, no fatigue, no signal - until a wrist, spine, or hip fractures. A hip fracture after 65 is a life-changing event, and spine fractures can quietly cost you height and posture over years. The only way to know your bone status before that happens is to measure it.
A DXA scan measures bone density at the hip and spine and reports a T-score: normal, osteopenia (borderline thinning), or osteoporosis. That score, combined with your age, history, and a fracture-risk calculator your physician uses, determines the plan - which may be lifestyle and rechecks, or treatment.
Weight-bearing and resistance exercise, adequate calcium and vitamin D (food first, supplements when needed), not smoking, moderating alcohol, and treating the cause when one exists - thyroid or parathyroid problems, steroid exposure, low sex hormones. When medication is indicated, several effective options exist; which one fits is a physician conversation.
Does Medicare cover it?
Yes, for people who meet the criteria - which includes most women 65+ and many younger patients with risk factors.
I'm a man - does this apply to me?
Yes. Osteoporosis is less common in men but far from rare after 70, and it is frequently missed.
If I have osteopenia, do I need medication?
Usually not - osteopenia is a watch-and-strengthen zone, not an automatic prescription.
At Personal Physician Care
Bone health sits at the intersection of primary care, endocrinology, and in-house diagnostics - all under one roof at our Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and Hallandale Beach offices. We accept most major insurance plans, including Medicare. Call your office: Boca Raton (561) 750-7509 · Delray Beach (561) 498-5660 · Hallandale Beach (954) 454-9055.
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