To avoid a blurred image, he or she tells you to remain as still as possible, including holding your breath, before taking each picture. The technician leaves the room or stands behind a screen while controlling the x-ray camera. A front view and a side view are usually taken.įor cervical spine x-rays, the technician tells you to open your mouth as wide as you can before taking some of the pictures this is done to avoid having your teeth block the view of the bones at the top of your spine. He or she positions you against the photographic plate (which looks like a large board) to get the clearest pictures. You either stand or lie down while a technician takes the x-rays. You may be asked to wear a hospital gown. You have to remove all clothing, undergarments, and jewelry from your upper body. Occasionally, doctors x-ray the pelvis to help diagnose the cause of back pain. X-rays can be taken separately for the three areas of the spine: the cervical spine (neck), thoracic spine (middle back), and lumbar spine (lower back). Hollow body parts, such as lungs, appear dark because x-rays pass through them.ĭoctors use back x-rays to examine the vertebrae in the spine for fractures, arthritis, or spine deformities such as scoliosis, as well as for signs of infection or cancer. Dense structures, such as bone, appear white on the x-ray films because they absorb many of the x-ray beams and block them from reaching the plate. Originally, a photograph of internal structures was produced on film nowadays, the image created by the x-rays goes directly into a computer. During this test, you usually stand in front of a photographic plate while a machine sends x-rays, a type of radiation, through your body. Doctors have used x-rays for over a century to see inside the body in order to diagnose a variety of problems, including cancer, fractures, and pneumonia.

Normal healthy cervical spine x ray