Why You Should Always Get an X-ray if You Have Joint Pain

Dr. Pamela Mehta, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon in San Jose

Always Get an X-ray

Dr. Pamela Mehta is an experienced orthopedic surgeon renowned for her expertise in sports injuries and joint arthritis. She is the founder of Resilience Orthopedics.

With an impressive career and training under leading innovators, she has served as Chief of Orthopedics and National Orthopedic Director for a major orthopedic hospitalist group and advises several publicly traded companies.

Pamela Mehta

So, you have pain in your limbs or joints, and you want to go see your physician about it. You know that you didn’t break your bone -so why is it that you’re always going to need an x-ray?

I’m going to tell you today.

What is an X-ray?

An x-ray is a low-radiation picture of your bones that helps your physician diagnose or rule out conditions that affect your bones and joints. Bones or thick material appear as white or opaque densities on an x-ray, whereas soft tissue (like muscles and tendons) shows as gray and air show up as black.

wrist xray view
A wrist xray can rule out a fracture

Why an X-ray is the Number 1 Diagnostic Test to Get First.

The number one thing I look at when I’m looking at an x-ray is your joint spaces and your alignment. I can gather a ton of knowledge just by looking at the contour of your bones, seeing if there are any bony spurs, and looking at the joint spaces to see if they are narrowed which compartment the narrowing is in.

If there’s any misalignment of the bones, I need that complete picture to be able to see exactly what the problem is. When it comes to lower extremity joints, I will also need to see a weight-bearing x-ray.

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The Best Orthopedic Surgeon in San Jose

Dr. Mehta is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who can help you recover from your joint condition. If you:

  • Are Suffering From Pain and Mobility Issues
  • Need Orthopedic Assessment and Advice
  • Want Treatment From a Top Orthopedic Doctor

We Can Help

What is a Weight-bearing X-ray?

For a weight-bearing x-ray you stand up (or in other words bear weight) and we take an x-ray. Simple right?

But why is it so important? From this type of x-ray, I can tell what kind of pressure and what joint forces are acting upon your joints. It is so incredibly different to take a picture of your knee while you’re weight-bearing and standing versus when you’re lying down on a table like you would for an MRI.

knee x-ray arthritis
Knee imaging can help determine the cause of your symptoms

But I Already Had an MRI! Why Do I Still Need an X-ray?

Oftentimes, you’ll come to see a doctor, you’ll have an MRI with you, it’ll already be done, and you’re confused.

Why is it that I still need an x-ray?

Well, there are many things we can see on an x-ray much better than we can on an MRI, such as:

  • Joint spaces
  • Alignment
  • Bone contour
  • Spurs
  • Swelling
  • Dislocation
  • Malalignment
  • Subluxation
  • Mal-unions and non-unions

All these things can view better on an x-ray versus an MRI.

In addition to this, if you’ve had previous surgery, we can see a lot of things going on with your joint on an x-ray. We can see any hardware that may be broken or malaligned, or a fracture that has healed hasn’t healed in anatomical position. All these things are better seen on an x-ray.

Ready to Recover?

Take the first step in getting back to your normal self, and book an appointment with Dr. Mehta today.

We’re ready when you are!

Some benign tumors that are best seen on X-may include a bone cyst, a non-ossifying fibroma, a unicameral bone cyst, and an osteochondroma.

hand xray in san jose
A hand xray rule out bone breaks and fractures.

But I Know I Didn’t Break a Bone! Do I Still Need an X-ray?

If you had a serious fracture you’d know it, but even if there’s not much pain or swelling it’s still possible that you have a smaller fracture or stress fracture! These can be best seen on an X-ray.

Sometimes when you sprain your ankle, you could have a spa avulsion fracture of your lateral malleolus – that’s a small chip off your bone. Of course, you can see this on an MRI, but it’s best to see on an x-ray where you can see the alignment of that avulsion fracture as well as how it’s related to the rest of the bones.

I hope I’ve been able to clear up why an x-ray is so incredibly important when you go seek medical attention about pain in your joint or bones.

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Dr. Pamela Mehta – board certified orthopedic surgeon, San Jose, CA

How Resilience Orthopedics Can Help

pamela mehta, orthopedic doctor

Dr. Pamela Mehta is an orthopedic surgeon and a specialist in sports injuries, degenerative arthritis, and minimally invasive surgery. Dr. Mehta offers a concierge service and treats you holistically, rather than just fixing your joints. She listens to your concerns, takes time to explain how your condition and potential surgery will affect you, and works with you to create the best treatment plan.

Resilience Orthopedics is based San Jose, California. To make sure you get the right diagnosis and treatment the first time, get in touch to begin your journey to recovery.