Blog and News

What is Osteoporosis And Why You Should Be Tested

What is Osteoporosis And Why You Should Be Tested

Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones that happens when your body loses too much bones, makes too little bone material or both. As a result, your bones become weak and may break more easily.

The word “osteoporosis” means “porous bone.” If you looked at a bone under the microscope, it would resemble a honeycomb. When you have osteoporosis, the holes and spaces in the honeycomb are much larger than in a healthy bone, thus making a weaker structure.



It is estimates that nine million Americans may have osteoporosis and an additional 48 million may have low bone density. 60 percent of adults age 50 and older are at risk of breaking a bone and should be concerned about their bone health. Approximately one in two women and up to one in four men age 50 or older will break a bone due to osteoporosis.


To help determine your bone’s health, it is recommended that you have a bone mineral density test (BMD) to show how dense your bones are and whether you have osteoporosis.


The most common osteoporosis test — and one we perform all the time at Fox Valley Imaging — is the dual x-ray absorptiometry scan or DEXA scan. This test measure your spine, hip or total body bone density to help gauge fracture risk.


A bone density test can help you and your healthcare provider:


  • learn if you have weak bones or osteoporosis before you break a bone
  • predict your chance of breaking a bone in the future
  • see if your bone density is improving, getting worse or staying the same
  • find out how well an osteoporosis medicine is working
  • let you know if you have osteoporosis after you break a bone


Most people need a prescription or referral from their healthcare provider to have a bone density test. If you’re not sure where to go for a bone density test, contact your healthcare provider or your insurance plan to find out where the test is available.


People taking an osteoporosis medicine should repeat their bone density test by central DXA every one – two years. After starting a new osteoporosis medicine, many healthcare providers will repeat a bone density test after one year.


Once you have consulted with your primary care physician and they have recommended a bone density scan, contact Fox Valley Imaging for an appointment. We’re a a faster, more convenient and more economical alternative to a local hospital or other medical diagnostic services.


Fox Valley Imaging’s services include fluoroscopy/arthrography, high field MRI/MRA, digital general x-rays, ultrasound, multidetector CT/CTA and DEXA. Appointments can be made by calling 630.416.1300.

Recent Posts

By Sudhir Kumar 03 Jul, 2023
A lot of people are at risk of heart disease and do not even know it. The good news is that there are simple procedures which can help to identify people who are at risk of heart disease so that they can take precautions to reduce their risk, and get the medical care that they most need.
By Sudhir Kumar 03 Jul, 2023
Here is a comprehensive guide to help you understand how your Calcium Score could be an important indicator of your risks of suffering from a heart attack. Your Calcium Score can be found after performing a CT scan of your heart. This score is calculated by measuring the quantity of calcium that is present in the arteries that take blood to your heart, also known as the coronary arteries.
By Sudhir Kumar 03 Jul, 2023
3D MRI Prostate mapping is a new procedure which offers a number of improvements compared to the traditional TRUS (transrectal ultrasound) biopsy for people who have prostate cancer. TRUS guided biopsies have been the go-to way of diagnosing prostate malignancy for the last 20 years, but this procedure is quite invasive, and it is not very precise.
By Sudhir Kumar 03 Jul, 2023
Multi-Slice CT Scanners Different Types of CT Scans In order to understand the different types of CT imaging scans, you must first understand the meaning of the word “tomography.” This Greek word comes from two distinct words “tomos” and “graphe.” “Tomos” means “section or slice” while “graphe” means “drawing.”
By Sudhir Kumar 03 Jul, 2023
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is a diagnostic technique used to create images of the body like a CT scan. It is non-invasive (It does not enter the body cavity) and requires no radiation, instead it is based on the magnetic fields of the hydrogen atoms in the body. By scanning the body, MRI is able to provide computer-generated images of the body’s internal tissues and organs.
Share by: