A DEXA (DXA) scan is a quick and painless procedure that involves lying on your back on an X-ray table so an area of your body can be scanned.

Unlike a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan or a computerised tomography (CT) scan, a DEXA scan doesn't involve being enclosed inside a tunnel or a ring, so you won't feel claustrophobic. Instead, you lie on your back on a flat, open X-ray table. You'll need to keep very still during the scan so the images aren't blurred.

The scan will usually be carried out by a radiographer (a specialist in taking X-ray images).

During the scan, a large scanning arm will be passed over your body to measure bone density in the centre of the skeleton. As the scanning arm is moved slowly over your body, a narrow beam of low-dose X-rays will be passed through the part of your body being examined.