Spinal X-ray

What Is a Spinal X-Ray?
If your doctor wants to find out what's causing your back or neck pain, he may ask you to get a spinal X-ray. It uses radiation to make detailed pictures of the bones of your spine.

A technician uses a machine that sends X-ray beams through your body. It records a black-and-white image on a special film or computer. Bones, and other parts of your body that are thick or dense, show up white in the picture. Softer tissue, like fat or muscle, appear in shades of gray.

Your doctor can take separate X-rays that focus on the different parts of the spine, which is made up of 33 small bones called vertebrae.

Your spine is split into sections:

Cervical spine (neck)
Thoracic spine (chest or trunk area)
Lumbar spine (lower back)
Sacral area (base of the spine)
Coccyx (tailbone)
Why Would You Get It?
A spinal X-ray can help your doctor figure out if you have:

Broken bones
Arthritis
Spinal disk problems
Tumors
Osteoporosis (thinning of the bones)
Abnormal curves of the spine
Infection
Spinal problems you were born with
X-rays are the most common tool used to "see" inside your body and take pictures of bones. While X-rays don't show as much detail as other imaging tests, they are often the tests doctors use at first to help them decide on your next steps.

Computed tomography (a CT scan) combines X-rays with computer technology to create a picture that shows a cross-section, or slice, of the bone.

For the most detailed pictures of the spine and all its parts, doctors often suggest magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It uses powerful magnets, radio waves, and a computer not radiation.

Are Spinal X-Rays Safe?
For most people, X-rays are safe. Some worry that the radiation can cause changes in cells that may lead to cancer. But the amount used in spinal X-rays is small, so the chance is low.

Unborn babies, however, are more sensitive to radiation. Tell your doctor if you're pregnant or think you might be. He may suggest another type of imaging test.

How Do I Prepare for a Spinal X-Ray?
Before your spinal X-ray, besides telling your doctor that you are or might be pregnant, let him know if you have an insulin pump or had any other types of X-rays recently.

You may need to remove your clothes and wear a gown during the test. Also, anything that's made of metal may show up on an X-ray, so remove things like these beforehand:

Jewelry
Hairpins
Eyeglasses
Hearing aids
What Happens During the Test?
You'll lie down on a special exam table. An X-ray machine will be hanging above you. A drawer under the table holds the X-ray film or digital recording plate.

A specially trained technician will position you on the table so that the section of your spine getting X-rayed is between the machine and the drawer with the film. He may cover the other parts of your body with a special apron made of lead that blocks radiation.

The technician will step behind a window barrier and turn on the X-ray machine. You'll need to stay still and hold your breath while the beams pass through your body. This only takes a few seconds. If you move, it may blur the image.

You may hear some clicking or buzzing noises while you get your X-ray, but you won't feel anything. An X-ray is painless.

In some cases, you may need to stand next to the X-ray machine. You doctor may also ask that you get images from the front and the side of your spine, or while you stretch or bend.

An X-ray takes about 5 minutes to complete. But you may in the room for longer, depending on how many images and views your doctor needs.

When your X-ray session is done, the technician will process the images. He may ask you to wait a few minutes to make sure the pictures are clear.