| Medical Dictionary |
A Medical Dictionary of Medical Terminology
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Of the 206 bones in your body, three of them are in your arm: the humerus, radius, and ulna. Your arms are also made up of muscles, joints, tendons, and other connective tissue. Injuries to any of these parts of the arm can occur during sports, a fall, or an accident.
Types of arm injuries include :
You may also have problems or injure specific parts of your arm, such as your hand, wrist, elbow, or shoulder.
Your shoulder joint is composed of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula (shoulder blade), and the humerus (upper arm bone). Your shoulders are the most movable joints in your body. They can also be unstable because the ball of the upper arm is larger than the shoulder socket that holds it. To remain in a stable or normal position, the shoulder must be anchored by muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
Because your shoulder can be unstable, it can be easily injured. Common problems include:
Health care providers diagnose shoulder problems by using your medical history, a physical exam, and imaging tests.
Often, the first treatment for shoulder problems is RICE. This stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Other treatments include exercise and medicines to reduce pain and swelling. If those don't work, you may need surgery.
NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
X-rays are a painless medical imaging test. They send a small amount of radiation through your body to create pictures of bones and organs.
X-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation. They create images in shades of black, white, and gray because different tissues absorb radiation differently. Bones absorb the most radiation and appear white. Fat and other soft tissues absorb less and appear gray. Air absorbs the least radiation, so areas like the lungs appear black.
The image is recorded on film or sent to a computer. Health care providers use x-rays to find health problems and to check how well certain treatments are working.
Who needs an x-ray?X-rays are commonly used to check for fractures (broken bones). They are also used for other purposes. For example, chest x-rays can detect pneumonia. Mammograms use x-rays to look for breast cancer. X-rays are also used as part of other imaging tests, such as CT scans.
How do you prepare for an x-ray?In most cases, little or no preparation is needed. You may be asked to wear a lead apron to protect certain parts of your body. You may also be asked to remove jewelry or other items that could affect the image.
The amount of radiation from an x-ray is small. For example, the radiation from a chest x-ray is about the same as the natural radiation you are exposed to from the environment over about 10 days.
Always tell your provider if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant.
How is an x-ray done?Depending on the part of your body being examined, you may be asked to stand, sit, or lie down. You will need to stay still for a short time while the image is taken.
What should you expect after an x-ray?After an x-ray, you can return to normal activities right away. A specialist called a radiologist reviews the images and shares the results with your provider.