Why an X-ray Might Be a Good Idea If You've Been Injured

Not so very long ago, what happened inside a living body was a complete mystery. But advances in medical science have provided more and more ways to look below the skin to evaluate the state of things. 

One of the most recognizable is the X-ray. This tool allows doctors and medical teams to see what’s happening with the body’s internal structures. And it delivers this information while being completely painless for the patient. 

That’s a big part of why we offer on-site X-rays at both of our SmartClinic Urgent Care clinics, in West Covina and Santa Clarita, California. 

When you visit us after you’ve been hurt, our team might recommend that we use this diagnostic tool. Getting an X-ray is a convenient way to figure out what’s going on with your body, and with this visual, our team can precisely tailor treatment to help you heal and alleviate pain.  

What an X-ray can reveal

You’re probably familiar with X-rays as a way to diagnose broken bones. They’re certainly effective in this area, as fractures show up clearly in the resulting image. 

But that’s not all an X-ray can show. This imaging also offers information about the soft tissues in your body. In fact, medical providers often use them to evaluate a patient’s lungs and heart. 

X-rays have a wide range of uses. After you’ve been injured, we might recommend an X-ray to:

• Get a clearer idea of what’s causing symptoms you’re experiencing (such as pain or swelling)
• Check your body for foreign objects
• Evaluate your bones, joints, and soft tissue
• Look for infections
• Assess your cartilage

If you were in a car accident, an X-ray can be helpful even if you didn’t fracture a bone. It could allow us to see that the impact from the crash affected the structure of one of your joints, for example. With that information, we can best tailor care for the joint.

We don’t recommend X-rays for every injured person who visits us. Our providers only suggest an X-ray when your symptoms indicate that there could be something going on inside your body. The X-ray provides us with more information so we can give you the targeted, accurate care you need. 

What to expect with an X-ray

Here at SmartClinic Urgent Care, we offer digital X-rays that use a lower amount of radiation than traditional X-rays, making them safer for you. 

To prepare, we might have you change into a gown or remove jewelry, depending on the body area we need to X-ray. Getting the X-ray can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour, again hinging on what we need to evaluate. No matter how long it takes, the X-ray is a completely painless experience. 

Because we use digital X-rays, you can see the resulting image right afterward on our screens. We have a board-certified radiologist provide a formal radiology report based on the X-ray. This provides the detailed analysis we need to guide your treatment, helping you heal from your injury. 

Ultimately, an X-ray is just one of the tools we might use to diagnose a problem or help you recover after you get hurt. When you need urgent care services, you can walk into either of our clinics or call the clinic nearest you.