Do I need an x-ray if my joints hurt?
Approximately 25% of adults will have knee pain at some point in their life. The pain may be from an injury, like a fall or a twisting movement. The pain could also develop slowly over time from changes in muscle strength, ligament stability, or the movement of the patella (kneecap) as the knee bends and straightens. Most of us will wait out the pain, hoping it goes away on its own with a little rest, a little medication, and a little icing. X-rays can detect bone fractures, bone alignment with other bones, certain tumors and other abnormal masses, pneumonia, some types of injuries, calcifications, and foreign objects.
