The Washington Institute of Sports Medicine in Kirkland offers widely sought body composition and bone density scanning – done in minutes.
by Joe Abs
The state of the art or Gold Standard of body composition has evolved with better technology and science over the years. Among industry experts it is recognized that DXA scanning produces the most accurate results available with very little room for error. There are not many places in the entire country that are currently offering the latest in DXA technology, but right here on the Eastside of Lake Washington, we are fortunate to have an amazing facility with the latest equipment to produce the best results – and the professional experts with the experience and qualifications to interpret the results for their clients.
The Washington Institute of Sports Medicine, under the guidance of Executive Director Dr. David Parker, has been using the Hologic DXA scanning machine to scan their clients for over two years now. Parker is a Physiologist who has been involved with performing over ten thousand body compositions over the last 35 years – mostly with now dated technology like water dunk tanks and Bod Pods. He has always wanted to work with the most current and accurate equipment, which is why he chose Hologic’s DXA Discovery W System for Advanced Body Composition Assessments to be used at his sports medicine clinic.
The Institute performed over 500 DXA scans in the first year it had the equipment, 700 in the 2nd year and is currently doing over 60 scans a month. Most of their DXA clients are local, but it is not unusual for people to fly in from as far as Alaska, New York and California to take advantage of the technology offered, the professional expertise delivered and also their reasonable prices. A complete initial DXA scan is currently only $125 at The Washington Institute of Sports Medicine, compared to prices up to $350 and beyond charged at other facilities around the country.
While a good percentage of the Institute’s clients are athletes and those involved in physical training or sports, more and more they are seeing a new type of clientele. As people are becoming more aware of health problems being caused by weight issues, they are taking positive action, eating healthier and exercising, but wanting to know exactly where they stand with their body composition and where they need to improve. Most schedule regular follow up scans to track their progress toward their health goals.
Besides being the most accurate body composition testing available, DXA testing has the advantage of not only providing a current percentage of body fat, but also includes a 3 point assessment of bone, muscle and fat for each arm, leg, your trunk and even where you store fat and how much fat is stored around your middle and hips, which is a telling indicator for risk of health issues. The Hologic scanner that The Washington Institute of Sports Medicine uses also produces color imaging of your body showing skeletal bone, lean muscle and fat and can even provide your bone density health rating.
The scan itself is non-invasive, takes place completely clothed (sans metal zippers) and is done in six minutes. For those who take their health seriously and want to know exactly where they stand, the DXA Body Composition scan is one that is being done on a regular basis. The time and dollar investment is very minimal, especially considering the benefits of the information gained. Try it today and make it a habit for life.
The Washington Institute of Sports Medicine is located at 12707 120th Ave NE, Ste 100, Kirkland, Washington 98034. Their phone number is (425) 820-2110 and they can be found online at http://www.Washington-Institute.com .