Coverage and plan options may vary or may not be available in all states. Sidecar Health offers and administers a variety of plans including ACA compliant and excepted benefit plans. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. * Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. X-rays are best at detecting problems with the bony structure of the spine, while an MRI gives more detail of soft tissue. Your healthcare provider may order a spinal x-ray initially. When back pain has not responded to conservative management, an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is the best imaging study to determine the cause of the pain. However, if your back pain persists or you have had a direct injury, an x-ray can help guide treatment. Often, back pain will resolve with a few days or weeks with conservative management. Conservative management involves medication, rest, and physical therapy. If you have back pain that did not result from an injury, your healthcare provider may not immediately order an x-ray. Sometimes additional x-rays may be taken to obtain a clearer view of the area. You may be asked to wait for a few minutes while the technologist checks the images to ensure the x-ray is clear. Positioning you for the x-ray will take a few minutes. How long does a spinal x-ray take?Ī spinal x-ray is very quick. This ensures that the picture is clear and not blurred from movement. You will be asked to hold your breath very briefly while the x-ray is taken. If you are having an x-ray of your neck, you may be asked to open your mouth, so your teeth are moved out of the way, and there is a clearer image of the upper neck. You may be instructed to change positions for different views or to move your arms. X-rays of the upper and lower spine are often taken with you lying on an x-ray table. Spinal x-rays may find:ĭuring a spinal x-ray, a technologist will position you for a clear image of the spine area that is of concern. Your healthcare provider may order a spinal x-ray if you’ve been having pain in these areas or if you’ve had an injury to your back or neck. Spinal x-rays evaluate the cause of back or neck pain. Your spinal x-ray order will specify which area of the back your doctor orders for imaging. A spinal x-ray will be categorized by the area of the spine that is being evaluated.

Lumbar spine x ray