Should I Get an X-Ray After a Fall? Understanding Your Needs

When should you get an X-ray after a fall? It depends on your symptoms and their severity. The amount of pain you’re in and the bruising and/or swelling that develops are all things to consider when deciding if you need to have an X-ray.

Here, we’ll take a more in-depth look at the answer to the question “Should I get an X-ray after a fall?” We’ll also explore how an X-ray works, its risks, benefits and limitations, how to prepare for an X-ray, and alternative scans.

What is an X-ray?

An X-ray is a type of diagnostic imaging scan. It uses low doses of radiation to create 2D, grayscale images of the inside of your body.

It’s particularly good at creating a clear image of dense tissues in your body – like your bones – and is used to diagnose fractures.

Understanding the X-ray process

An X-ray machine includes an X-ray generator and an X-ray detector. The X-ray generator releases a beam of X-rays, which passes painlessly into your body.

Some X-rays are absorbed by your body while others pass through. The more dense the tissue, the more X-rays are absorbed. X-rays that pass through are picked up by the X-ray detector. These signals are converted into digital images by a computer.

Dense tissues appear brighter and whiter on an X-ray image. Less dense tissues appear in varying shades of grey. Areas containing gas or air appear black.

Signs you may need an X-ray

If you’ve had a fall or direct impact to your body, it’s important to look for signs that you may have a broken bone (bone fracture). These signs include:

a tingling sensation – this can suggest nerve damage caused by a bone injury
a visible deformity eg it looks like a bone is jutting out or misaligned
being unable to lift things with an injured arm or hand
severe pain and/or persistent pain that gets worse
significant swelling or bruising that doesn’t get better
trouble walking ie being unable to bear weight on an injured leg

If you notice any of these signs, seek immediate medical attention at an emergency room or urgent care centre, where you can have an X-ray.

Risk factors for falls and bone fractures

Your risk of having a fall is higher if you have joint pain – for example, due to arthritis – vision problems, muscle weakness or episodes of dizziness or lightheadedness, which could be due to postural hypotension (a sudden drop in blood pressure when you stand up) for example.

The risk of a bone fracture after a fall increases with age as your bones weaken. This is especially true if you have osteoporosis (brittle bone disease), hyperthyroidism and/or diabetes, which all weaken the bones.

How to prepare for an X-ray exam

You can eat and drink as normal before an X-ray and take any medications as usual.

Depending on the injured area to be scanned, you may be asked to change into a hospital gown.

You’ll be asked to remove all metal objects from your body. This is because metal interferes with the clarity of X ray images by creating bright, white spots and/or streaks.

After your X-ray, if a bone fracture is detected, you’ll be advised on appropriate treatment. This may include following the RICE method (rest, ice, compression, elevation) to reduce swelling, having a cast put on the affected joint or limb, wearing a brace or splint, or taping.

Benefits of getting an X-ray

An X-ray is a fast, painless and cost-effective medical scan. The X-ray is taken quickly, so you don’t have to keep still for a long time during the scan, which can be uncomfortable.

Although an X-ray uses radiation, the doses are considered low and safe to use for most people. For example, a standard X-ray of your hand or foot exposes you to the same amount of radiation as you would experience from your natural surroundings over 3 hours.

An X-ray to examine the bones doesn’t require any contrast agent or a barium swallow.

Limitations and risks of getting an X-ray

X-rays are usually not recommended for pregnant women because of the risk of exposing the foetus to any amount of radiation.

Although X rays are usually the first choice for investigating possible bone fractures, they don’t always detect all fractures. For example, very small fractures such as stress fractures can be missed. The complexity of your anatomy can also make it more difficult to detect bone fractures in areas like your wrist.

Other scans for diagnosing injuries after a fall

If you’ve injured yourself after a fall but your doctor doesn’t suspect a bone fracture, they may recommend another type of scan, such as an ultrasound scan.

Ultrasound is a safe, painless, non-invasive imaging test that, unlike X-rays, does not use any radiation. It uses high-frequency sound waves to create live, grayscale images of the tissues in your body.

As it creates images in real-time, you don’t need to remain still during your scan. This is particularly helpful to get an accurate diagnosis for soft tissue injuries, like a severe sprain, because it allows your doctor to assess how your tissues respond to movement.

If your doctor suspects you have a bone fracture but can’t detect one from your X-ray, they may recommend an MRI or CT scan. Both produce more detailed images of tissues in your body than X-rays. They also create 3D images, allowing your bones to be imaged from many different angles. This makes it easier to detect very small fractures that are missed on an X-ray.

Do you need an X-ray?

If you want rapid access to affordable X-ray imaging, book a virtual GP consultation with one of our experienced Vista Health GPs. They will advise you on whether an X-ray is the most appropriate scan for your needs. If it is, they can book your private X-ray at one of our nationwide clinics.