A DEXA scan measures bone mineral density. Your T-score or Z-score helps your medical clinician interpret that measurement, but the number alone does not tell you which exercises to do or whether you will fracture a bone. Your fracture history, age, other health conditions, and fall risk also matter.
This guide helps you read the main parts of the report and prepare for a conversation about treatment and an exercise plan.
What does a DEXA scan measure?
DEXA, also written DXA, uses low-dose X-rays to measure bone mineral density, usually at the hip and lumbar spine. A report may list several sites and scores. It is a bone-health test, not a test of muscle strength, balance, or the cause of back pain. NIAMS: what bone-density numbers mean.
What does your T-score mean?
A T-score compares your bone density with a young-adult reference. In postmenopausal women and men age 50 or older, the standard categories are:
- -1.0 or higher: normal bone density.
- Below -1.0 but above -2.5: low bone mass, often called osteopenia.
- -2.5 or lower: in the osteoporosis range at an appropriate measurement site.
A result of -2.0 is not “20% bone loss.” The score expresses distance from the reference average in standard deviations. Ask your clinician how the result fits your overall diagnosis and fracture risk. BHOF: bone-density testing.
When is a Z-score more useful?
A Z-score compares your result with an age-matched reference. ISCD generally prefers Z-scores for women before menopause and men younger than 50. A Z-score of -2.0 or lower is described as below the expected range for age; it calls for clinical interpretation rather than automatically applying the older-adult T-score categories. ISCD official positions.
Why are the hip and spine scores different?
Different skeletal sites can have different measurements. The clinician also considers whether arthritis, a prior fracture, positioning, or another technical factor affects interpretation. Do not average the scores yourself or select whichever number feels most reassuring. Ask which sites are valid and which result guides your diagnosis.
For example, a report with a spine T-score of -2.6 and a hip T-score of -1.8 needs interpretation of both sites; the hip result does not cancel the spine result. This is an illustration, not an individual diagnosis.
Does a low T-score mean you will break a bone?
No score predicts an individual’s future with certainty. Your clinician may use a fracture-risk tool such as FRAX alongside your history. Falls, previous fractures, and medical factors deserve attention even when a score is not in the osteoporosis range. BHOF: clinical assessment of bone health.
What should you do after a low-bone-density result?
- Review the report with your medical clinician. Ask about fracture risk, possible contributors to bone loss, and whether medication or further testing is indicated.
- Bring the full report to an exercise assessment. Include fracture and surgery history, current pain, medications, and any restrictions.
- Choose a realistic starting point. Individual PT, supervised exercise, and an independent plan provide different levels of support.
- Track more than the scan. Discuss practical goals such as getting out of a chair, carrying groceries, balance, and confidence with everyday movement.
A T-score alone is not a lifting prescription. For local options, see osteoporosis physical therapy and Bone Builder classes.
Can exercise improve your DEXA result?
Exercise is an important part of bone-health care, but an individual scan improvement cannot be promised. Strength, balance, and daily function remain useful goals alongside bone density. Read what LIFTMOR research studied and how exercise fits alongside medical treatment.
When should you repeat the scan?
The timing should depend on the clinical reason for testing and whether a new result would change care. Small differences between scans can reflect measurement variability. Ask whether a change exceeds the facility’s least significant change and whether the scans can validly be compared. Avoid assuming every decimal change means improvement or deterioration. ISCD guidance on follow-up measurement.
Turn your report into an exercise conversation
Mindful Movement PT helps people in Salt Lake City and Holladay explore an appropriate exercise starting point. Request a free case review or call/text (385) 332-4939. If you have osteoporosis and new back pain, seek assessment before treating it as an ordinary workout flare; see our exercise and compression-fracture guidance.
Videos from Mindful Movement PT
These demonstrations provide context for a conversation with your therapist. They are not an individualized exercise prescription.
About the clinician: Emily Warren, DPT, Cert. MDT, is the owner of Mindful Movement PT. She is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, holds the McKenzie credential in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy, and is BoneFit trained.
Updated September 7, 2026. General education; an individual assessment is needed to guide your care.