At a Glance
| Also called | X-ray, plain X-ray, radiograph; on prescriptions X-ray chest PA, LS spine, C-spine, KUB, PNS |
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| Appointment | Walk-ins welcome with a doctor's prescription, or book on WhatsApp |
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| Preparation | Usually none; our team confirms when you book on WhatsApp |
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| Contrast | None; no injection |
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| Time | Usually about 5-15 minutes in the room |
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| Radiation | A low dose; tell us first if you are or could be pregnant |
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| Reported by | Dr. Avinash Bansal, MD (Radiology) |
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| Report | Most reports the same day, sent to your WhatsApp |
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| Price | Exact price confirmed on WhatsApp before your visit |
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| Open | Mon-Sat 8am-10pm, Sun 8am-5pm |
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What an X-ray shows
X-rays pass easily through air but are largely blocked by bone, so bones look white and the air-filled lungs and sinuses look dark. That makes an X-ray good at showing bones, joints, lungs and sinuses. Most bones and joints are X-rayed from two directions, such as front and side; a routine chest X-ray is usually a single view. In Hindi and Marathi it is simply called एक्स-रे.
An X-ray does not show ligaments, cartilage, discs, nerves or muscles well, it cannot measure bone strength, and a normal X-ray does not rule out every problem. Depending on the question, your doctor may next ask for an MRI of the knee or lower back, an ultrasound of muscles and tendons, a DEXA scan, HRCT chest or CT KUB.
- Chest (usually the PA view): the lungs and heart size, pneumonia, fluid around the lungs, and changes that can suggest TB, which other tests (such as sputum tests) then confirm. Early or small changes in the lungs may not be visible on a chest X-ray.
- Spine (neck, upper-middle back or lower back): alignment, wear and tear (spondylosis), fractures and a slipped vertebra. A 'slipped disc' and a pinched nerve do not show on X-ray; they need an MRI. Flexion-extension views of the lower back, taken while you bend forwards and backwards, check for abnormal movement between the vertebrae.
- Knees, one or both, with a skyline view of the kneecap if asked for: arthritis, joint-space narrowing and fractures.
- Shoulder, elbow, forearm, wrist, hand, fingers, hips, leg, ankle, foot and heel: fractures, dislocations, arthritis and heel spurs.
- PNS (sinuses) and nasopharynx: sinusitis (a CT PNS shows much more detail), and enlarged adenoids in children who snore or breathe through the mouth.
- Abdomen and KUB: many kidney stones (some types, and small stones, do not show on X-ray) and the pattern of gas in the bowel.
- Skull and orbits: an orbit X-ray is sometimes asked for before an MRI, to check for a tiny metal fragment in the eye in people who have worked with metal (grinding, welding). A skull X-ray is not the test for a head injury; that needs a CT scan.
When doctors ask for an X-ray
An X-ray is often the first imaging test. Common reasons include:
- A cough lasting more than two weeks, fever with breathlessness, or follow-up during TB treatment
- A fall, sports injury or twist with pain, swelling or difficulty using the part
- Neck or back pain that has not settled after several weeks, or joint pain where arthritis is suspected
- Checking that a fracture is healing, or a plate, screws or joint replacement after surgery
- Before an operation, or as part of a pre-employment or routine health check-up
- Long-standing sinus symptoms, or snoring and mouth breathing in children
Go to a hospital emergency department first, not a scan centre, after a serious accident, a neck injury, or a head injury with fainting, vomiting, drowsiness or confusion; if a bone looks bent or has broken the skin, or a hand or foot turns cold, pale or numb; if an older person falls and cannot stand or put weight on the leg; for back pain with new leg weakness, numbness around the private parts or loss of bladder or bowel control; and for chest pain, sudden breathlessness, coughing up blood or severe abdominal pain with vomiting.
How to prepare
Most X-rays need no preparation: eat, drink and take your regular medicines as normal. Our team confirms the exact preparation when you book on WhatsApp.
- Bring your doctor's prescription, and any earlier X-rays or reports of the same area so the radiologist can compare.
- Wear loose clothes without metal zips, hooks, sequins or zari work over the area. You may be asked to change into a gown.
- Remove jewellery and metal from the area being X-rayed, such as chains, mangalsutra, earrings, nose pins, hairpins, removable dentures, belts and keys.
- If you are or could be pregnant, tell us before any X-ray.
- An X-ray KUB or abdomen may need specific instructions; we tell you these when you book. Tell us if you have had a barium test in the last few days, as barium left in the bowel can hide what we need to see.
What happens during the X-ray
A radiographer positions you standing, sitting or lying down, depending on the part. You keep still for a moment, and for a chest X-ray you take a deep breath and hold it. The exposure lasts a fraction of a second and you feel nothing. For a flexion-extension X-ray of the lower back, you bend forwards and backwards only as far as is comfortable.
You are usually in the room for about 5-15 minutes, longer if several parts are being X-rayed. The digital images appear on screen within moments, so the radiographer can check them and repeat a view if needed before you leave. There are no after-effects. A parent can usually stay to help a young child keep still, wearing a protective apron, unless that parent is or could be pregnant.
Is an X-ray safe?
A chest X-ray is a very small dose of radiation, roughly what everyone receives from their natural surroundings over a few days, and X-rays of the hands, feet and knees use even less. X-rays of the lower back, pelvis and abdomen need more, roughly a few months' worth of natural background radiation. That is still a low dose, but it is one reason every X-ray is done only for a clear medical reason, and why bringing earlier X-rays can sometimes avoid a repeat.
If you are or could be pregnant, tell us first. An X-ray of a part far from the tummy, such as the chest, hand or foot, gives the baby a negligible dose and is often still done when it is needed. For the abdomen, pelvis or lower back, your doctor and the radiologist will decide whether the X-ray should go ahead, wait, or be replaced by ultrasound or MRI, which use no radiation.
No contrast dye or injection is used for these X-rays, so no kidney function report is needed. Metal implants, pacemakers, plates and joint replacements are not a problem for an X-ray. The X-ray does not make you radioactive, so breastfeeding and being close to children afterwards are safe.
Your X-ray at AV Scan
Your X-ray is read and signed by a named radiologist, and the practical details can be settled on WhatsApp before you leave home.
- Reported by Dr. Avinash Bansal, MD (Radiology), whose work covers MRI, CT and bone and joint imaging.
- Most reports the same day, sent to your WhatsApp.
- Walk-ins welcome with a prescription, or WhatsApp us a photo of it first and we confirm the exact price before your visit.
- Cashless with most major insurers and TPAs, and empanelled for CGHS, ECHS and MJPJAY. Tell us your insurer or scheme and we will check what applies to your X-ray.
- Open Monday to Saturday 8am-10pm and Sunday 8am-5pm.
- Ground floor with step-free entry, on Shankar Ghanekar Marg near Shivaji Park and Siddhivinayak Temple, which helps if you are coming in with a painful knee, back or ankle.
- MRI, CT, ultrasound and DEXA are done here too, and blood samples are collected at the centre.
