Everyone would agree that seeing a problem makes repairing it much easier. The same can be said for conditions in your body. Diagnostic images like X-rays provide that “insight” into your body. These images revolutionized medicine when doctors began using them to diagnose damage and injuries. They still allow the doctor to see structures underneath the skin and other soft tissues, so conditions can be more accurately identified, diagnosed, and treated.
Pictures of the Inside
Although X-rays have been around for decades, they continue to be valuable diagnostic tools that allow experts like our podiatrists to assess issues in your lower limbs. These are the most common type of diagnostic images. They can be used to identify fractures, tumors, arthritic damage, dislocations, and a number of other issues in the lower limbs.
The technology uses beams of mild radiation to create a negative of a picture. The rays are directed at the particular area of the body being examined. A brief pulse of electromagnetic waves are released and pass through your body. Dense matter absorbs some of the rays, while soft tissues absorb very little. Spaces between bones, or cracks in your skeletal structure, allow the rays to pass straight through. The remaining radiation is received by film or digital sensors so a picture can be developed.
Understanding the Risk
Because they use radiation to capture these images, there is some risk attached to the exposure—however, the dose is quite small. The amount of harmful rays you are exposed to in a single appointment is small enough that there are no side effects and no long-term risks. To make the process even safer, though, areas of your body that are not being examined are covered to protect them from unnecessary exposure.
What to Expect at Country Foot Care
Our doctors use X-rays regularly to assist in diagnosing injuries, illnesses, and creating custom orthotics, among other things. They can help our team identify heel spurs or other bone deformities related to heel pain, as well as determine the extent of conditions like bunions. How these conditions are treated may depend on what our team sees in the X-ray image. They can also identify joint breakdown from arthritis or other injuries. They are regularly used to diagnose fractures of all kinds, as well as help treat them. This is particularly helpful if your break is displaced or if you’ll need surgery for any issue. The pictures allow our team to plan out procedures, so any surgeries are handled efficiently and accurately.
Diagnostic images are quick, simple, and very effective for treating a wide variety of issues and injuries. They are also safe and can be taken in-office during your appointment, cutting out an extra step and allowing you to receive accurate treatment faster. If you’re struggling with any kind of lower limb pain, you can find relief. Don’t take your lower limbs for granted and risk a simple problem becoming a complicated one. Contact Country Foot Care at either of our offices on Long Island for more information or an appointment. You can reach also make an appointment using the REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT button at the top of this page.
