When your doctor asks you to get an X-ray, it’s usually for one of the following reasons:
- To examine an area where you’re experiencing discomfort or pain
- To monitor how a disease is progressing, like osteoporosis
- To check up on how a prescribed treatment is working
X-rays are generally performed on a bone, teeth, the abdomen, chest, mouth, neck,
skull, pelvis, hands, and joints, or you can undergo a full body X-ray. Although most
people think of broken bones or fractures when they think of X-rays, these images are
also useful in the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis, osteoporosis, infections,
cancerous tumors, blocked blood vessels and many more conditions.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound scans can be used to help physicians diagnose a huge variety of medical
conditions and come up with treatment plans. Ultrasounds also let them evaluate
various symptoms, like infections, swelling or pain. Ultrasounds can be used for
guidance during procedures as well, such as biopsies, or to assist anesthesiologists
attempting to guide needles near nerves.
