FAQ

BoneHealth BC believes strongly in empowering patients with accurate, accessible bone health information. We want our patients to feel calm, comfortable, and informed before, during, and after their bone health scan appointment.

BoneHealth BC also understands that you’re a busy person, and want to quickly find answers to common questions without having to wait for your bone scan appointment.

Below are some common questions about bone health scans and bone health scan assessments that you will find helpful and informative.

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  • In preparation for your scan, please refrain from eating for four hours prior to your appointment. This will optimize the scan process and reduce interference with your results.

    Clear drinks, such as water, black coffee, and tea are acceptable. You may take vitamins and medications as usual.

  • Please wear loose clothing as the scan requires transducer skin contact of the abdomen and hip to assess the lumbar spine and proximal femur; this will involve exposing the abdomen and upper thigh, so please wear appropriate undergarments. Loose fitting shorts are an excellent option. We provide towels and sheets for proper draping.

  • A digital copy of your bone health scan report will be sent to you within 24 hours following your scan appointment.

  • The REMS report is a clinical assessment that is best interpreted by a clinician who can take into consideration the specific, individual details of your report within the context of your own health history and goals. To best support your goals and health outcomes, BoneHealth BC recommends you take your REMS report to your primary care provider for consultation.

    BoneHealth BC also offers a REMS report review with one of our Naturopathic Doctors. BoneHealth BC’s Naturopathic Doctors can review your report with you, help you interpret your findings, and provide you with clinical steps to meet your goals. Please be advised that this appointment will focus on the review of the REMS scan in the context of bone health and not all health concerns may be addressed regardless of their relationship to bone health.

    Please note: BoneHealth BC cannot provide REMS report interpretation outside of a clinical appointment, per provincial guidelines.

  • Your primary care provider may recommend health and lifestyle changes following their review of your REMS report; they may also refer you to a specialist or recommend further investigation of the information provided.

    BoneHealth BC also offers a REMS report review with one of our Naturopathic Doctors; our NDs will review and interpret your report and provide you with clinical steps to meet your goals.

  • Yes, there should be correlation (agreement) between REMS and DXA results for the same scanned area (e.g., the lumbar spine). If REMS and DXA results differ significantly, a clinical interpretation from a healthcare provider is recommended.

  • REMS is less subject to error (e.g., positional, operational, or machine). REMS results have been independently validated to show a higher degree of accuracy and reliability compared to DXA.

  • No, REMS doesn't detect osteoarthritis (OA). It's designed to measure bone density and assess fracture risk related to osteoporosis, not joint problems.

    In people with OA, REMS is actually better than traditional DXA scans at detecting osteoporosis. That's because it can "see through" the bone changes and calcifications that OA causes, which can make DXA scans give falsely high bone density readings.

    REMS uses smart technology to filter out artifacts from things like bone spurs and sclerosis (thickening) in the spine, giving you a clearer picture of actual bone health even when OA is present.

    While REMS won't tell you if you have osteoarthritis, if you do have OA and need to check your bone health, REMS can give you more accurate results than DXA. However, you'll still need regular clinical exams and joint-focused imaging (like X-rays or MRIs) to actually diagnose and monitor the osteoarthritis itself.

  • REMS is performed at the lumbar spine and hip because these anatomical areas are the reference sites used to diagnose osteoporosis and predict the most clinically relevant fractures (hip and vertebral).

    Why these specific areas matter:

    • Hip and lumbar spine Bone Mineral Density (BMD) are the basis for the World Health Organization’s (WHO) T‑score definitions and most osteoporosis guidelines.

    • Measuring these sites allows REMS reports to be interpreted exactly like DXA.

    • Hip and vertebral fractures contribute the greatest morbidity, mortality, and health‑system cost and, consequently, are the anatomical regions of greatest clinical interest and importance.

    The technical advantage:

    The REMS software and reference databases are calibrated specifically for L1–L4 and femoral neck/total hip, providing validated BMD, T‑score, Z‑score, and fragility-score metrics at these anatomical locations. Focusing on these reproducible, accessible, anatomical areas keeps scan time efficient while maximizing precision and minimizing artifacts.*

    *In the context of a Bone Mineral Density Scan, an artifact is any misrepresentation or distortion in the image or measurement that does not reflect the true bone density.

  • The scanning process involves the placement of a transducer (which emits high-frequency sound waves into the body and detect the echoes reflected back from tissues and organs) over the proximal femur (hip) and lumbar spine.

    BoneHealth BC scans four vertebral segments by scanning the abdomen. Normally, the scan of these two areas provides the information needed for your bone health assessment report, which will report BMD, T-score, Z-score, and Fragility Score. If you would your other hip scanned there is an additional charge of $50. Please advise ahead of time if you would like both hips scanned.

  • BoneHealth BC provides a scanning service and charges $225 for a REMS bone health scan. This includes a comprehensive bone health assessment report that you can share with your primary care provider for interpretation within the context of your health history and goals.

     BoneHealth BC virtual consulting is provided by licensed Naturopathic Doctors in the province of BC. As such, if you have extended insurance that includes naturopathy, you can submit your receipt to your insurance provider. We do not direct bill insurance.