If My Tests Show I Have Bone Loss, Do I Need To Be Referred To A Specialist?

Or can my primary care provider or my gynecology clinician manage my case?

Sometimes, BMD testing sites have their own clinicians. They are familiar with the BMD testing equipment and interpreting the results. You may be prescribed medication and told to follow up with them in several months. When your primary care provider (PCP) or gynecology clinician (GYN) orders your tests, you should discuss who will be interpreting the test results and if you will be referred to a specialist.

Most primary care providers can manage your care if you are newly diagnosed with osteoporosis or have just found out you have osteopenia. It may become necessary, depending on other medical conditions that you have or the medications you take, to refer you to a specialist in osteoporosis. This specialist is often an endocrinologist or rheumatologist.

Many women see their GYN clinician annually in place of regular primary care check-ups. GYN clinicians can order BMD testing, provide you with the results, recommend therapies and lifestyle changes, and prescribe medications. If you have other conditions that may affect your bone health, it is advisable to also have a primary care clinician who can review all of your medications and history as they relate to osteoporosis. If you have spinal fractures, you may be referred to an orthopedist (a doctor who specializes in the treatment of the skeleton system and its muscles, joints, and ligaments). Although rarely used today, a special brace for your back may be recommended (see Question 83).

Orthopedists usually don’t prescribe the medications that are used to treat or prevent osteoporosis, unless the medication is needed for a fracture (see Question 63). Your PCP or GYN clinician usually prescribes medications for prevention and treatment. If you see different clinicians for your primary care, bone health, and GYN care, you must inform all of them about the therapies being used to manage your osteopenia or osteoporosis.