When you visit Dr. Calixto Ruibal, Dr. Silvia Boccardo, or Dr. Julio Scaglia at Lawndale Medical Clinic, serving the East End, Houston, & Pasadena, TX, after an injury or when you have pain in a joint, we may advise you to undergo X-rays so we can see inside the area and know exactly what's going on. Let's discuss how these work for diagnostic purposes.
What X-Rays Show
X-rays are diagnostics used to look at the internal structure of the body. What the imaging shows depends on the density of it. Hard masses, including bone, appear white on the screen. However, white isn't the only color visible on it. You'll notice fat and muscle on the screen appear gray.
Sometimes, you'll need to take either barium or iodine, which helps to make the image more vivid. The barium usually comes in an oral form. Once you drink the solution, the dense structures will appear whiter on the screen, meaning the contrast will be higher.
Iodine can be given either through an IV or orally. It also increases the contrast between the screen and high-density items.
Diagnosing Fractures
Whether we want to confirm a fracture or rule it out as a possible cause of your discomfort, we may have you undergo X-rays. On the screen, you'll be able to see a visible sever in the bone if there's a fracture. You might have swelling around it that'll look similar to a higher-density item. But, sometimes, the swelling will look like shadowing on the X-ray.
From the X-ray, we can determine the appropriate treatment based on the location and severity. For instance, an air boot may be enough, while a more serious fracture may require casting.
We, however, might discover through the X-ray that the injury isn't a fracture, meaning at-home measures will be enough.
Diagnosing Joint Issues
When you visit our practice, serving East End, Houston, & Pasadena, TX, we may recommend X-rays for joint issues, like arthritis. We'll look to see if there is a symmetrical joint space, decreased joint space between bones, or bone spurs. We'll also look to see if there's any irregular bone loss or any misalignments.
This may be necessary if you're experiencing joint pain after an injury that isn't subsiding with normal at-home measures or if we'd like to rule out certain concerns. On the other hand, we may recommend it for chronic joint pain.
Dr. Ruibal, Dr. Boccardo, and Dr. Scaglia of Lawndale Medical Clinic serving the East End, Houston, & Pasadena, TX, can diagnose fractures and joint problems through X-rays if you're having pain or other symptoms.
Call (713) 924-4907 for an appointment today.