Hi Reader,

I thought it would be good to go over the basics, the T-score, the main piece of information we get on DEXA scans.

Quick review: A DEXA scan, or DXA scan, is short for Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry. It's basically a bunch of X-rays done back to back to create a bigger picture of your bone. Once this picture is created, it is compared to other DEXA scans and assigned a score.

You will most likely get several T-scores on your report.

One score from your femur (DualFemur). This is your thigh bone.

One score for your (femoral) neck. This is the top of your thigh bone, the most common area of hip fracture

One score from your lumbar spine (AP Spine). This means the combined score from your L1 (first lumbar vertebrae) to your fourth lumbar vertebrae, L4. This is your low back.

Here is an example of what your t-score report may look like:

The first yellow highlighted box is the T-score report, and the second yellow highlighted box is the reference table, specified for this report.

All three T-score numbers are below -1.0 and above -2.5, which means they fall into the OSTEOPENIA category.

Why does the chart say T-score Young Adult?
​The T-score compares your bone mass to that of a young adult with normal bone mass. You will notice there is also a Z-score, which compares your bone to that of someone your same age. The T-score is what is used to determine how far off your bone is compared to a young adult with maximal bone density. In other words, how has your bone aged?

I hope you find this helpful. I will make this into a more polished blog post so you will be able to access it easily in the future. I will also go over the FRAX tool and TBS scores in the coming weeks.

I have found it mentally challenging to be on social media lately, so if you have noticed a decrease in my posts on both Instagram and Facebook, it is not that I am losing interest in helping all of you build bone. I am trying to figure out the best way to connect with all of you in a way that feels good in my body. Email feels pretty good right now.

Keep moving and stay strong,

📌 PS —All of my online classes are listed here; check them out.​

📌 It is the perfect time to join the waitlist for my Strong Women, Strong Bones program. Don't miss out when I announce the future dates.
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​If you have been through the Strong Women, Strong Bones program and are ready to re-engage in the live classes, email me for the link to restart. I would love to see you again!

The information provided is for general educational purposes only and is not intended to serve as medical or physical therapy advice to any individual. Please consult with your physician before starting any new exercise program. Any exercise has the potential to cause injury or physical problems.

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