Bone Health & Fracture Prevention
Osteoporosis Doctors in Los Angeles, CA
Our board-certified rheumatologists treat osteoporosis, osteopenia, and bone loss for patients across Los Angeles and Southeast LA in the Los Angeles area. We measure your bone density with an on-site DEXA scan, read your T-score the same day, and build a fracture-prevention plan in one visit so you leave knowing your numbers and your next step.
What Osteoporosis Does to Your Bones
Osteoporosis thins your bones until a small fall, a bump against furniture, or a hard cough can break one. Your skeleton rebuilds itself every day, breaking down old bone and laying down new bone. After about age 30 the breakdown starts to win, and when it wins for years your bones turn porous and weak.
Here is why it catches people off guard. Bone loss makes no sound and causes no pain, so most patients feel fine right up until a hip, spine, or wrist gives way. A broken hip can take away independence overnight. Spine fractures cause the lost height and rounded back that many people blame on normal aging.
Our rheumatologists find the loss before it breaks a bone. We run the test, read the result, and start a plan the same week, so patients across Los Angeles get answers instead of waiting and worrying.
How We Diagnose Bone Loss: DEXA Scans and Your T-Score
We diagnose osteoporosis with a DEXA scan, the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry test that the World Health Organization uses to define the disease. The scan takes about ten minutes, uses a very low dose of radiation, and asks nothing of you beyond lying still on a padded table while the arm passes over your hip and lower spine.
Let's break down the result. The scan reports a T-score that compares your bone density to a healthy young adult.
| T-Score | What It Means |
|---|---|
| -1.0 and above | Normal bone density |
| -1.0 to -2.5 | Osteopenia, meaning low bone mass |
| -2.5 and below | Osteoporosis |
For younger and premenopausal patients we also read a Z-score, which compares you to others your own age and sex. Your physician never reads a number alone. We weigh the score next to your fracture history, your medications, and your family history, then tell you in plain words what it means for you and whether treatment makes sense now.
Osteoporosis Services We Provide in Los Angeles
Bone loss comes from many causes, including menopause, aging, steroids, and other medical conditions. The right treatment depends on the cause, so accurate diagnosis comes first. Our team handles the whole path from your first scan to long-term follow-up.
On-Site DEXA Scanning
We perform bone density testing in our Los Angeles-area office, so your scan, your T-score reading, and your treatment plan happen in one appointment instead of three trips across Los Angeles.
FRAX Fracture-Risk Assessment
We run the FRAX tool, which weighs your age, prior fractures, family history, and steroid use, to calculate your 10-year risk of a major break and decide whether you need medication or monitoring.
Osteopenia Care
When your bone is low but not yet osteoporotic, we focus on stopping the slide: calcium and vitamin D targets, weight-bearing exercise guidance, fall-risk fixes, and a repeat scan to confirm progress.
Medication and Infusion Therapy
We prescribe and manage oral and IV bone therapy, including the once-a-year Reclast infusion and the twice-a-year Prolia injection, and we explain how each one works before you start.
Steroid-Related and Secondary Bone Loss
We treat bone loss driven by prednisone, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disorders, and hormone changes, and we coordinate care with your other doctors so the underlying cause gets handled too.
Long-Term Monitoring
Osteoporosis is a long-term condition, so we track your response with repeat DEXA scans and lab work, adjust your therapy over time, and watch for side effects at every visit.
Osteoporosis Treatment Options We Prescribe and Manage
We match your treatment to your bone density, your fracture history, and your overall health. The goal stays the same for every patient: stop the first or next fracture before it happens. Here are the main options our rheumatologists use.
- Bisphosphonates: Fosamax, Boniva, and Reclast
- These slow the cells that break down bone. You take them as a weekly or monthly tablet, or as a once-a-year zoledronic acid (Reclast) IV infusion when pills upset your stomach or you would rather skip the daily routine.
- Denosumab: Prolia
- A twice-a-year injection that cuts bone breakdown. We reach for it when bisphosphonates do not fit your kidneys or have not held your numbers steady.
- Bone-building agents: Evenity, Forteo, and Tymlos
- These grow new bone rather than just slowing loss. We use them for patients with very low scores or those who keep fracturing on other therapy.
- Calcium, vitamin D, and movement
- Every plan starts here: the right calcium and vitamin D levels, weight-bearing and resistance exercise, fall-proofing your home, and cutting back on smoking and heavy drinking.
We tell you why we picked a given option, how you take it, and how we will track it, so you make the call with full information rather than just filling a prescription.
When Should You See an Osteoporosis Specialist in Los Angeles?
Many people put off a bone-health visit for years and assume thinning bones come with age. Sometimes that holds true. Other times, waiting until a fracture happens costs you mobility you cannot get back. Book an evaluation with our rheumatologists if any of these fit you.
- A DEXA scan that showed osteopenia or osteoporosis, or a T-score of -2.5 or lower
- A broken bone from a minor fall or low-impact injury, called a fragility fracture
- Height loss of an inch or more, a stooping posture, or new mid-back pain
- Menopause before age 45, or menopause without estrogen replacement
- Long-term use of corticosteroids such as prednisone
- A parent or sibling who broke a hip, or a family history of osteoporosis
- Women age 65 and older or men age 70 and older who have never had a bone density scan
- Conditions tied to bone loss, including rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disease, celiac disease, or early chronic kidney disease
Next step: call us and we will get you scanned. Early evaluation usually means simpler, more effective treatment.
Who Is at Risk, and How You Protect Your Bones
Who Carries the Highest Risk
Postmenopausal women, adults over 65, people with a smaller body frame, anyone with a family history of fracture, long-term steroid users, and patients low in calcium or vitamin D face the greatest odds. Men count too. After age 50 a man's odds of an osteoporotic fracture can pass his odds of prostate cancer, yet men get screened far less often, so we screen male patients who use steroids or have already broken a bone.
How You Keep Bones Strong
Hit your calcium and vitamin D targets, do weight-bearing and strength exercise, skip smoking, keep alcohol light, and clear fall hazards like loose rugs and dim stairwells at home. Screening at the right age catches loss early, when prevention works best. We build every one of these steps into your plan and check your progress at each visit.
Why Patients Across Los Angeles Choose Our Bone-Health Team
We give you real time at every visit. Bone health has many moving parts, so we sit with your scan, your history, and your medication list rather than rushing you out the door.
We test and treat under one roof. Our on-site DEXA scanner means we measure your bones, read the result, and start your plan in one place without sending you across the county.
We explain treatment in plain language. When we suggest an infusion, an injection, or a tablet, you learn why we picked it, what to expect, and which side effects to watch for.
We work with your other doctors. Many of our patients also see primary care, endocrinology, or orthopedics, so we share notes and keep everyone on the same page.
Meet the Doctors Who Treat Osteoporosis
Our physicians are board-certified rheumatologists with deep experience in bone health, autoimmune disease, and complex musculoskeletal care, treating patients across Los Angeles and the greater LA area.
Gilbert F. Gelfand, M.D.
Dr. Gelfand serves as Clinical Professor of Medicine at USC and Chief of Rheumatology at Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center, and he has cared for patients in the Los Angeles area for more than 30 years.
Tien-I Karleen Su, M.D., FACR
Dr. Su co-founded Amicus Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center and brings more than 10 years of rheumatology practice, with a focus on patient-centered bone and joint care.
Susan Mansourian, M.D., FACR
Dr. Mansourian gives each patient an individual plan and helps people with complex rheumatologic conditions reach their best possible health outcomes.
Branden Ireifej, M.D.
Dr. Ireifej focuses on autoimmune and musculoskeletal conditions and works through an evidence-based approach with shared decision-making at every step.
Frequently Asked Questions About Osteoporosis Care
What is a good T-score on a bone density test?
A T-score of -1.0 or above counts as normal. A score between -1.0 and -2.5 means osteopenia. A score of -2.5 or lower means osteoporosis. Your doctor reads the number next to your fracture history and other risk factors before recommending treatment.
Do I need a referral to see an osteoporosis doctor?
It depends on your insurance. HMO plans usually need a referral from your primary care doctor. PPO plans often let you book directly. Call our office and our staff will check your plan with you.
Does Medicare cover a DEXA bone density scan?
Medicare Part B covers a bone mass measurement once every 24 months for qualified patients, and more often when your doctor finds it medically necessary. Our staff verifies your coverage before we schedule the scan.
Do you offer bone density scanning on-site?
Yes. We run DEXA bone density scans in our Los Angeles-area office, so testing, T-score review, and your treatment plan happen in one visit instead of three appointments at three locations.
Can men get osteoporosis?
Yes. Men lose bone with age, and after age 50 a man's odds of a fragility fracture can pass his odds of prostate cancer. Men get screened far less often, so we screen male patients with steroid use, low testosterone, or a prior fracture.
What should I bring to my first visit?
Bring your medication list, recent lab results, any prior bone density scans or X-rays, and notes about fractures or back pain. The more we see on day one, the faster we build your plan.
Do you treat patients in Spanish?
Yes. We have Spanish-speaking staff and a Spanish-language section on our website for patients across Southeast Los Angeles.
Schedule an Appointment with an Osteoporosis Doctor
Bone loss does not have to end in a fracture. Whether a scan just came back abnormal, you recently broke a bone, or you simply want your numbers, our Los Angeles rheumatologists will read your bones and build your plan. Patients across Los Angeles trust us to find the loss early and act on it.