What is a Whole Body DEXA Scan?

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The Whole Body Dexa Scan provides one of the most highly accurate measurements of body composition available, registering fat and lean mass distribution throughout the entire body. In simple terms, it is capable of detailing overall, as well as regional, fat mass, muscle mass, and bone strength. That means we can tell you the exact number of pounds of muscle that is in your body and how many pounds of fat you are carrying. The word DEXA stands for duel-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

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Some medical imaging centers and most major universities with solid exercise physiology research programs have these units to help evaluate their athletes. But a Whole Body Dexa Scan is not just for athletes. Specialized healthcare facilities such as ours at Optimal Health Miami have these units that are so useful in the evaluation and management of ALL our patients.

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The scan itself is no more invasive than a low energy X-ray, which, in fact, it is - imparting about as much radiation per scan as a TSA body imaging device.

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The scan involves little more than lying face-up on a table while dressed in casual clothing - cycling shorts and, for the ladies, a sports bra works well. The scanning device makes a single pass over the body. The results are immediate and afterwards Dr. Gittelman and the Staff at Optimal Health Miami will review the detailed results with you.

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You may be familiar with some of the other older methods to measure lean body mass such as the caliper or impedance scales where the machine makes its measurements by passing electricity through your body. These methods are way less accurate than the Whole Body Dexa Scan.

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The Whole Body Dexa Scan also will give us your bone mineral density - a measure of the strength and health of your bones.

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Athletes typically have denser bones and muscles than non-athletes. Post menopausal women who are not taking estrogen typically lose bone density over time, as do all of us over the decades. Bone loss or weakness can make us prone to a variety of problems. Bone loss is what makes people susceptible to fractures. A simple fall when we are age 30 is easily absorbed by our body. But the same force of a fall as we age, since our bones are weaker, can turn into a hip fracture or worse.

 

From every total body Whole Body Dexa Scan Optimal Health Miami can provide you with the following information:

• Your Total body bone mineral density

• Your Total body muscle mass (in pounds)

• Your Total body fat mass (in pounds)

• Your Total body fat percentage- This is a calculation of what is known as lean body mass.

• We measure your muscle and fat mass of your trunk and each of your arms and legs

• We measure your central abdominal fat measurement. This is a very vulnerable area to accumulating fat in so many people

• Our model of the Whole Body Dexa Scan has an accuracy to one tenth of a gram

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