When Should You Get X-Rays After a Crash?

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When Should You Get X-Rays After a Crash?

When Should You Get X-Rays After a Crash?

After a car accident, it’s common to feel sore, stiff, or shaken—but how do you know if the pain means something more serious? X-rays are one of the most common imaging tools used after a crash to identify injuries that aren’t visible on the surface.

At Affection Health Care, we help patients understand when X-rays are necessary, when other imaging might be better, and how to make the best choices for your care and your personal injury claim.

🩻 What Do X-Rays Show?

X-rays are excellent for identifying hard-tissue injuries, including:

Broken or fractured bones
Dislocated joints
Bone misalignment
Spinal abnormalities
Bone bruises or cracks

However, X-rays do not show:

Soft tissue injuries (muscles, tendons, ligaments)
Herniated discs
Concussions or brain injuries
Internal organ damage

For those, an MRI, CT scan, or ultrasound may be more appropriate.

🚨 When You Should Definitely Get an X-Ray After a Crash

Here are red flags that mean an X-ray is strongly recommended:

✅ You have intense or worsening pain

Especially in the neck, back, ribs, hips, or extremities.

✅ You can’t move a part of your body

This includes not being able to lift your arm, bend your leg, or rotate your neck.

✅ There’s visible swelling or deformity

Swelling around a joint or limb, or anything that looks “out of place,” may indicate a fracture or dislocation.

✅ You heard a “pop” or “crack” during impact

This could be a sign of a fracture, especially if accompanied by bruising and sharp pain.

✅ You can’t bear weight

If walking causes sharp pain in your hip, knee, or ankle, you may have a fracture or joint injury.

🧠 When X-Rays May Not Be Enough

If you’re having symptoms like:

Tingling or numbness
Muscle weakness
Dull, aching pain that radiates down an arm or leg
Loss of bladder or bowel control

…you may need a MRI to look for nerve, disc, or spinal cord damage.

🏥 How Affection Health Care Evaluates You

At your post-crash evaluation, we’ll:

Take a detailed history of the accident
Perform a physical exam
Identify red flags that indicate the need for imaging
Refer you for X-rays, MRI, or CT as needed
Document your findings for your personal injury claim

Our goal is to catch serious issues early—and protect your legal and physical health.

⚖️ X-Rays and Personal Injury Cases

Having imaging to confirm an injury can strengthen your case by:

Proving the injury is real
Linking it directly to the accident
Preventing insurance companies from downplaying your pain

We provide detailed documentation and work directly with attorneys to support your claim.

📅 Think you might need an X-ray? Schedule an evaluation at AffectionHealth.com
📞 Or call us directly at (350) 216-5774

Affection Health Care
We look deeper—so nothing gets missed.