Arthritis and X-Rays

Medically Reviewed by Carol DerSarkissian, MD on August 19, 2022
1 min read

No special preparation is necessary for an X-ray, but you should tell the technician if you could be pregnant. The risks of radiation exposure to the fetus are small, but they should be minimized,

You will need to remove all jewelry before the test. You may need to remove some clothing, depending on the part of the body being X-rayed. You'll be given something to cover yourself.

The X-ray is performed in a radiology department.

The X-ray machine will send a beam of ionizing radiation through an X-ray tube. This energy passes through the part of the body being X-rayed and is then absorbed on film or a digital camera to create a picture. Bones and other dense areas show up as lighter shades of gray to white, while areas that don't absorb the radiation appear as dark gray to black.

The entire test takes no more than 10 to 15 minutes.

You will feel no discomfort from the X-ray test.