I am trauma and hospital-qualified and have credentials in MRI spine interpretation, spinal biomechanical engineering and orthopedic testing through the Academy of Chiropractic. Cervical X-rays at Precision Spinal CareĪs a spine management physician, I am qualified to order and evaluate X-ray series and competently address your underlying medical conditions. As a general policy due to mother’s concerns, we do NOT x-ray pregnant women. You may be given a lead vest to cover your abdomen to protect the fetus. However, make sure to tell your doctor that you are pregnant before getting an X-ray. Radiation that passes through your neck poses little risk to a fetus. You can get a neck X-ray while pregnant if it is medically necessary. The risk is so low under 100 mSv of exposure, in fact, that statisticians cannot even accurately predict the exact numbers because the cancers would be so rare.Įxperts consider it much more dangerous to postpone needed medical imaging versus to delay it due to concerns about low-dose radiation. Since a cervical X-ray series generally has only between 0.2 and 0.8 millisieverts (mSv) of radiation, it is very low risk. Lower doses of radiation have proportionally lower risks. This is especially true of radiation exposure well under 100 mSv, such as cervical X-ray imaging.Īccording to experts, only one individual out of 100 would be expected to develop cancer from a radiation dose of 100 mSv while approximately 42 of the 100 would be expected to develop cancer from other causes. For this reason, experts recommend limiting radiation exposure to 50 mSv per year or 100 mSv over a 3-year period. This is a huge amount of radiation compared to the 0.2 to 0.8 mSv in a typical cervical X-ray series. The lifetime risk of cancer can increase by 1% in people exposed to more than 100 mSv per year. Given the low amounts of radiation in a neck X-ray series, it would be nearly impossible for a neck X-ray series from your chiropractor to significantly impact your overall cancer risk. Is the Radiation From A Neck X-Ray Dangerous? Americans are exposed to radiation from food, radon, cosmic rays, soil, and building materials. In total, the average American is exposed to around 3 mSv per year. Because different X-ray machines have different doses of radiation, your chiropractor will be able to tell you how much radiation is delivered by the X-ray machine in their office.Īn mSv is the average total background radiation (not counting radon) to which an average person in the United States is exposed. How Much Radiation Is In A Neck X-Ray Series?Īn X-ray exposes you to a very low amount of radiation: it’s about the same amount of radiation you would normally get in a ten-day period.Ī series of neck X-rays typically has between 0.2 and 0.8 millisieverts (mSv) of radiation. Sometimes, your doctor may request additional pictures like flexion and extension views of your neck. Top to down/axial view known as a base posterior/vertex view.Front view, also known as AP or anterior-posterior/nasium view.Air appears black because radiation can freely pass through.ĭuring an X-ray of the cervical spine, three different pictures usually are taken: Other tissues allow varying amounts of radiation through, so they appear gray. Because little radiation can pass through bones, they appear white on an X-ray. This radiation can provide a detailed view of the bones of your spine, including your cervical spine. Beneath these, the C3 through C7 vertebrae are considered the mid to lower cervical spine.īecause the C1 and C2 vertebrae are the most freely moveable joints in your spine, they are prone to injury and misalignment.Īn X-ray is a test in which a focused beam of low-dose radiation is passed through a part of your body. The upper cervical region consists of the occiput (the back of your skull), and the C1 and C2 vertebrae, which are known as the atlas and the axis. The cervical portion of your spine is made up of 7 vertebrae. What Is A Cervical X-Ray?Ī cervical X-ray, also known as a neck X-ray or a lateral neck X-ray, is an X-ray of the upper part of your spine. In this article, I will explain what a cervical X-ray is, and discuss the low amounts of radiation in a cervical X-ray series. Multiple top world-renowned medical centers - including the Cleveland Clinic and Mount Sinai - have written about the low radiation risks and overall safety of cervical X-rays. Another common question is about the safety of cervical X-rays.įortunately, cervical X-rays are safe. For example, you may wonder why your doctor wants X-rays in the first place. If your doctor has ordered cervical X-rays for you to monitor your treatment progress, you may have some questions.
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