Bone Density
Many patients don’t realize that here at Surfside Non-Surgical Orthopedics we treat osteoporosis as part of our comprehensive musculoskeletal care.
Osteoporosis refers to a decrease in bone density which results in an increased risk of fracture. There are several medical reasons for osteoporosis but here in South Florida by far the most common type is age related osteoporosis.
A patient’s bone density is evaluated with a DEXA scan. We do not perform scans here at Surfside Non-Surgical Orthopedics but refer out to local centers or hospitals where they do perform DEXA scans.
If you are coming in for a bone density evaluation then please bring in your DEXA. If you have not had one then we can order one for you. If you had one at another doctor’s office we can request the record for you but this may result in delayed treatment or an extra office visit. The best bet is to bring the DEXA report with you to the office visit.
There are several options for treating osteoporosis with varying levels of efficacy in a spectrum from diet to supplements to pharmaceuticals.
Pharmaceutical treatments for osteoporosis do not consist solely of bisphosphonates like Fosamax which scare a lot of people because of the side effects of gastritis and osteonecrosis of the jaw and have resulted in many patients failing to seek care for their osteoporosis out of fear. This can be a critical mistake. We have many options other than bisphosphonates although there may be times when they are appropriate.
Why do doctors make such a big deal of thinning bones and osteoporosis? After all, the risk is just a broken bone and not death, right? Actually, some broken bones such as spinal vertebrae can result in lifelong pain after a fracture and a broken hip can increase your chance of death. The CDC 2015 states that 20% of elderly patients with a hip fracture will die within one year. So you can see why we take Osteoporosis seriously. It is not just a casted bone for 6-8 weeks.
Prolia® (Denosumab) is a special case in the treatment of Osteoporosis. It is an injection once every six months for the treatment of Osteoporosis. Prolia® is free to 99% of patients if billed correctly.
Prolia | Boynton Beach, FL
Prolia® is one option used here at Surfside Non-Surgical Orthopedics for osteoporosis and is a unique case in terms of billing that deserves special mention. There are two possible ways to bill Prolia®. One that results in significant cost to the patient, which is often in the hundreds of dollars range, and the other which typically cost the patient zero dollars. As you can imagine the method that results in no cost to the patient requires extra work, hassle, and financial outlay on the part of the physician. Here at Surfside Non-Surgical Orthopedics we feel that the extra hassle is worth it if the decreased patient cost results in more patients receiving optimal care. For 99% of our patients Prolia® is no cost to them.
Prolia® is a prescription medicine used to treat osteoporosis in women and men who are at high risk for fracture, meaning have had a fracture related to osteoporosis, or who have multiple risk factors for fracture or cannot use another osteoporosis medicine or other osteoporosis medicines did not work well. It is an injection every six months.
For complete information please see the companies’ website https://www.prolia.com/