A traditional X-ray is a fast, widely available way to spot fractures, dislocations, and abnormal spinal alignment after an injury, helping guide next-step treatment quickly.

X-rays are a foundational tool in diagnostic imaging because they’re quick, accessible, and excellent at revealing bone-related problems like fractures, dislocations, degenerative changes, and spinal alignment issues—often making them the ideal first step after an injury. In many cases, an X-ray can provide the key information a provider needs immediately, without the higher cost, longer scan time, and strict screening requirements that come with MRI. While MRIs are best for evaluating soft tissues like discs, nerves, ligaments, and muscle, they aren’t always necessary as an initial test, and they can sometimes show incidental findings that don’t match a patient’s symptoms. That’s why clinicians frequently start with X-rays to rule out urgent structural concerns and then escalate to MRI only when the clinical picture calls for a deeper soft-tissue evaluation.