We answer questions within business days and will respond promptly. Doctors often use x-rays to diagnose conditions, such as arthritis, cancer, osteoporosis, and bone fractures or dislocations. Occasionally, patients must ingest or be injected with a substance to get a very detailed image of the internal organs.
In some cases of cancer, radiation therapy-very high doses of x-rays-is used to kill the cancer cells. X-rays are very helpful diagnostic tools, but excess exposure to radiation is dangerous. Different body tissues absorb various amounts of x-rays. Skin, fat and muscle, for example, allow more x-rays to pass through, but bones are denser, and they absorb more x-rays than soft tissues do.
Excess absorption of xrays can change human DNA and make cells abnormal — and possibly malignant. X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation used to create images of bones, joints and soft tissue structures inside the body. The x-ray image looks like a set of shadows on a piece of plastic film that shows bones as white, air as black, and soft tissues as varying shades of gray.
Most radiographs take less than a second to perform, although more complicated procedures, such as a barium enema, can take more than an hour. In some patients, a magnetic resonance imaging MRI scan or some other advanced imaging technique may be ordered in addition to regular radiographs.
These studies help investigate x-ray findings or create images for conditions that are not easily seen on radiographs, such as spinal disc disorders.
MRIs can be more expensive than x-rays, but they do not use radiation, so they cause no risk of excess radiation exposure. X-rays can help determine the necessary course of treatment and reveal if some underlying conditions might interfere with it.
For example, patients often come to doctors of chiropractic after having suffered an injury. In many such cases, x-rays are necessary to exclude the possibility of more serious health problems. X-rays are also recommended in older patients- for example, to help detect the probability of osteoporosis- as well as in patients with a history of certain types of arthritis, tumors and many other conditions. X-rays are colorless, odorless and tasteless, so you will not see, smell, or taste them.
In addition, you will feel nothing as they are taken. For example, chest x-rays can spot pneumonia. Mammograms use x-rays to look for breast cancer. When you have an x-ray, you may wear a lead apron to protect certain parts of your body. The amount of radiation you get from an x-ray is small. For example, a chest x-ray gives out a radiation dose similar to the amount of radiation you're naturally exposed to from the environment over 10 days.
The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health. X-Rays Also called: Radiography. On this page Basics Summary Start Here. ACR accreditation is the gold standard in medical imaging. Independent Imaging is an ACR-accredited facility that also supports a number of initiatives to improve image quality, safety, and patient care. Search this website. Providers Portal Online Bill Pay.
Call Today Patient Forms Request an Appointment. Here are the top 3 uses of x-rays. Fractured Bones Patients who sustain a bone injury are usually asked to undergo x-rays. Mammography A mammogram is another very common application for the x-ray and is requested for patients who want to get tested for abnormal growths in the breast. Patient Education Want to know more about your test and what we are looking for?
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