Dexa Scans London

Yes, depending on what scan you do, whilst the machine is the same for measuring bone density and body composition, they are two very different types of scan. A Body composition report DOES give a good indication of your bone density but this is only an indication and not a definitive, diagnosable result. In other words, it's not a result a doctor would make any firm decisions on. However if you book for an Osteoporosis scan with us, this will generate a report that will measure your hip and spine bone density which is a gold standard Osteoporosis scan. We also offer a Body & Bone bundle that will do a full body bone scan, a Hip & Spine scan and full body composition report. These are popular with athletes, and are popular with people wanting a better understanding of their overall bone health.

It's perfectly safe to have a DEXA scan during your menstrual cycle.

(The only 'condition' for which you should not have a scan is being pregnant. If you think you may be pregnant, we will not permit you to have a scan.)

However, a scan during or immediately before your period is not advised because you may retain body water that is not present ordinarily. Body water is measured as a component of 'lean body mass', which for all intents and purposes is counted as 'muscle mass'. Lean mass is actually everything that is not fat or bone, so as well as muscle mass it includes your organs, ligaments, tendons, skin - and water.

If you have one scan during your period (or any other time you retain water or experience 'bloat') and another scan without the retention, then a drop of, say, 2kg in body water will appear as a drop in lean mass. But it is not the case that you have lost 2kg of skeletal muscle.

We can never really point to changes in lean body mass and say, “it's all muscle” or “this much is muscle and this much is water.” But it is best practice to be - as far as is possible - in the same physiological state for each scan.

Incidentally, changes in body water will have almost no effect on the DEXA measurement of fat mass,

How old do you have to be to have a scan? The minimum age we can scan is 18 years old.

BodyScan's DEXA scanner has a maximum weight limit of 190kg (that's 418 pounds or 29 stone).

If you are very heavy and very large, your whole body will probably not fit within the width of the scanning table. The DEXA software is ready for this and enables us to position you with your left arm outside the scanning area, and then mirrors the data from your right arm to your left. This is standard practice for clients who are physically very big.

The actual scan takes less than four minutes but your first appointment with a consultation (the Baseline scan) lasts up to 40 minutes. It is to ensure you fully understand everything in the report, interpret your personal results and give you the opportunity to ask any questions you might have.

When you have a follow-up scan to check your progress, the scan is exactly the same but there is no detailed consultation. The appointment is just 20 minutes, which is enough time to briefly discuss what progress you have made since your previous scan.

Ideally we recommend that all your scans take place on the same machine at the same location for the most reliable comparison between scans. Even though our scanners are very closely calibrated, we do not recommend that you regularly switch between machines because of minor differences in calibration. That being said, if you are having to travel long distances and another branch makes more sense for you, then you can use another centre. And remember you can use any of BodyScan or BodyView sites for your scans as we are the same company.

All of our consultants are fully qualified to do DEXA scans, and are extensively trained and qualified to help on your weight loss, bone health or fitness journey. Many of them are also nutritionists or personal trainers, and all of them will be extremely supportive of your goals whatever they are.

It is absolutely fine to have a scan while breastfeeding.

However, it is NOT OK to have a scan while pregnant. We will ask you to confirm your pregnancy status and will not scan you if there is a chance you may be pregnant.

BodyScan is for EVERYONE looking to get in better shape or achieve weight loss or better performance. A lot of people think all our customers are athletes, but they are not. Far from it. In fact, most of our customers are overweight and looking to lose fat or wanting to see if they have Osteoporosis. 60% of our clients are men, 40% are women, and they range from 18-80 years old. Whatever your circumstances and reasons for wanting to know or track your body composition (fat loss or muscle gain) rest assured you will feel completely comfortable and our Technicians will be supportive and non-judgmental.

BodyScan offers DEXA body composition scans, to accurately and precisely measure your body composition - your fat mass, lean mass and bone mass. As well as Osteoporosis scans on your Hip and Spine to accurately measure your bone density.

To prepare for the scan, please do not eat (or eat very light) for four hours beforehand and be normally hydrated with water, tea, etc. Don't over- or under-drink.

Also, do not do any heavy exercise (eg, a gym workout or long run) for the same period.

Please remove as much jewellery as you can before you arrive at the clinic. After you have checked in, empty your bladder before being called.

It's best if you are in the same state for every scan for the most reliable comparison.

If you have any implants of any material or a Pacemaker, again, don't worry, the scan can go ahead as normal. Metal implants will show up as dense bone on your BodyScan report but they will not affect the fat and lean data. There is no risk to the operation of your Pacemaker.

Metal implants/piercings will show up as dense bone on your BodyScan report but they will not affect the fat and lean data. There is no risk to the structure of operation of your implant.

If you have any implants (like a hip or knee replacement) of any material or jewellery or piercings you cannot remove, or a Pacemaker or Cochlear ear implant, don't worry, the scan can go ahead as normal.

The DEXA is a very-low-dose X-ray, and X-rays either pass through objects or they do not.

We do ask that you remove as much jewellery as possible, as we want to measure you, not what you're wearing.

If your Dr has advised you to get a DEXA scan then it will be for an Osteoporosis scan and not a Body Composition scan. Simply select that as an option when booking your appointment.

We have a mixture of male and female Technicians at our different branches, if you require a woman please contact us using support and we will arrange it for you.However, we do also operate a chaperone policy so you can bring someone with you.

Please note that if you bring your own chaperone, they can be with you during the whole appointment. If you request a member of clinic staff, they can only be in the scanning room during your welcome chat, while you get changed (behind a privacy curtain) and during the scan. They will not be able to stay for the post-scan consultation.

Please email us in advance of your requirement if you need us to provide a chaperone.

If you would like to bring a friend, relative or child with you, they can be with you during the introduction and the consultation but not during the scan itself, which is about four minutes.

(If you are bringing an adult friend with you, who is interested in body composition, please remember we provide Baseline scans for two people, so you might want to consider that!)

CHILDREN

You can bring a child (infant, toddler or older) with you to the appointment but please remember that the post-scan consultation during the first (Baseline) scan requires your and our consultant's attention and focus for 30 minutes, so we respectfully ask for your child's good behaviour please 🙂 We will not be able to give the consultation with the distraction of a crying baby/toddler.

Young children can stay in the room during the 4-minute scan by standing with the consultant behind the safety screen. Older children and others must wait outside in the waiting area while the scan takes place.

CHAPERONES

A chaperone, nurse or carer can be with you during the scan if required. They will have to sign a form to remain in the room during the scan. It would be helpful if you could drop us an email ([email protected]) and let us know in advance.

We recommend about 12-16 weeks (3-4 months) between scans. This is long enough for changes in body composition to have occurred and for you to know that you can stick to your plan; and short enough to keep you motivated and give you a short-term target.

If you're on a more ambitious plan, especially for fat-loss, then we can scan you every eight weeks providing you have lost a minimum of 3KG

A DEXA body scan is non-intrusive and completely pain free, so there is no need to be anxious or nervous. There are no injections and nothing is attached to you. In fact, many BodyScan clients say they find the experience calming and relaxing and sometimes fall asleep!

You will lie on a padded mattress and a scanning arm will pass over you three times. The DEXA machine is not like an MRI or CT 'doughnut' scanner in that you do not go 'inside' the machine. So don't worry if you suffer from claustrophobia, you will not feel any sense of confinement at all. The scanning arm passes at least 30cm (12 inches) away from your body.

You will need to remain still during the scan but you should be relaxed and breathe normally. Relax and imagine you are lying on the beach! The scan itself takes less than four minutes and the BodyScan operator will be in the room with you and can stop the scan immediately if you feel uncomfortable.

If you have any more questions or concerns ahead of your DEXA Scan appointment, please see our FAQs here or get in touch with our friendly team.

The actual scan takes less than four minutes but your first appointment with a consultation lasts up to 40 minutes. It is to ensure you fully understand everything in the report, interpret your personal results and give you the opportunity to ask any questions you might have.

When you have a follow-up scan to check your progress, the scan is exactly the same but there is no detailed consultation. The appointment is just 20 minutes, which is enough time to briefly discuss what progress you have made since your previous scan. One of the pages of your Progress report will show precise changes in fat and lean mass between your latest scan and the previous scans.

The DEXA scan uses a tiny dose of ionising radiation (X-rays) to measure your body composition. To put the dose and the risk in perspective, it is equivalent to eating 50 grams of Brazil nuts, and less than one day's normal background radiation that we each receive every day from outer space and the earth's natural radiation.

To put it another way, you are effectively having a DEXA body scan every day without even knowing it. The dose is so low that the Care Quality Commission describes the risk from the radiation dose of a body scan as “negligible”. This chart shows dose comparisons (a DEXA bodyScan is the same as a dental X-ray, at 0.005mSv).

Please wear comfortable clothing without metal in. No zippers, poppers, or underwired bras please as metal will show up on the scan and can interfere with the results. Something like leggings or tracksuit bottoms or shorts with a top is ideal.