X-Rays

How to prepare

No special preparation is needed for most X-rays. Wear comfortable clothing without zips, snaps, underwire or metal fastenings over the area being imaged, and leave jewelry at home where you can. You may be asked to change into a gown so that nothing on your clothing appears on the image and hides what the provider needs to see.

Tell the team before the image is taken

• If you are pregnant or think you might be
• If you have had recent imaging of the same area elsewhere
• If you have a metal implant, plate, pin or pacemaker
• If you cannot hold a particular position because of pain

What it feels like

The image itself takes seconds. You will be asked to hold still, and sometimes to hold your breath briefly, because movement blurs the picture and can mean repeating it. Several views of the same area are normal, since a fracture can be invisible from one angle and obvious from another.

Getting your results

Your provider reviews the images and will explain what they show and what happens next. Ask before you leave how and when the result will reach you, and make sure we have a phone number you actually answer.

Radiation, in perspective

The dose from a standard X-ray is small, and your provider orders one only when the information will change your treatment. If you are pregnant, say so first and alternatives will be considered.