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Although it is the oldest imaging technique in use, x-rays still have an important place in modern medicine. Your doctor may use an x-ray to screen you for lung cancer, or tuberculosis, check for broken or fractured bones, or to see if you have any vertebrae damage after you have suffered trauma.

X-rays are better for all of these purposes than MRIs or CT scans.

If you ask an orthopedic surgeon she'll tell you that x-rays reveal damage in bone better than any other imaging technique, and that she always wants to see an x-ray when she suspect a break or fracture. In fact, she may order multiple x-rays because some fractures are hard to spot and easy to miss.

The x-ray will tell her whether you need a cast to immobilize the injury, whether you require other treatment and time off till it heals, or whether it's safe for you to start physiotherapy.

X-ray technology has been around for awhile, but it still is a vital diagnostic tool that doctors rely upon to determine injuries, and to screen for diseases, that would be difficult or impossible to diagnose without recourse to x-rays.

Learn more about this author, David Riel.
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