This is a common question I get asked after someone has been in an auto accident. X-rays are good for diagnosing lesions involving bone. Whenever you have trauma to a bony part of your body, x-rays should be performed to rule out bone disorders. For auto accidents, we like to look at the spine and extremities to see if there are microfractures, inflammation, ligamentous laxity, alignment of the bones and the spaces between the bones. This information tells us a lot. We can determine if the patient that was in an accident has a serious injury, or if they have an underlying condition that can make getting better take longer.
I also get asked if the radiation from the x-rays are harmful. X-rays give off radiation but the amount is very small. When x-rays were developed over 100 years ago, a patient will have to stand in front of the x-ray tube for a long time before a picture would develop. This, was a lot of radiation ! Modern x-ray technique uses filters that decrease the amount of radiation to the patient, they are very quick, probably 1 second or less depending on the size of the patient and the body part x-rayed. You get radiation from different sources we come in contact with everyday, the television, car dashboard, etc. So the dose of the radiation in the modern world is so much smaller than when they were first developed that they are safe and an effective way to diagnose injuries.
If you have been in an auto accident and are experiencing whiplash, headaches, nausea, ringing in the ears, jaw pain, low back pain, spinal stenosis, sciatica, mid-back pain, shoulder pain, knee pain and live in the Chicagoland area like: Chicago, Elmhurst, Villa Park, Lombard, Bensenville, Melrose Park, Northlake, Stone Park, Berkeley, Bellwood, Westchester and Oak Brook, call The Auto Accident Pain Relief Center of Illinois 24/7 at 800-862-5914.
