X-Ray Lumbar Spine (LS)
A focused scan for L1–L5 vertebrae, Disc spaces, Alignment.
Overview
Examines L1–L5 vertebrae, Disc spaces, Alignment. Performed at an NABL-accredited Meridian Health centre with a same-day report and a free doctor review.
The full panel
3 areas across 1 groupEvery parameter, grouped by body system — no clicking to expand.
What this scan measures
Front and side images of the five lumbar vertebrae (L1–L5) and the sacrum, showing vertebral height and shape, the disc spaces between them, the alignment of one vertebra on the next, and the facet joints at the back of the spine.
It is the first-line image for persistent low back pain, for trauma, and for suspected instability — where flexion and extension views can show a vertebra slipping forward (spondylolisthesis) that a static film misses. It is also used to look for a compression fracture in osteoporosis.
Symptoms that lead to this scan
- Low back pain persisting beyond a few weeks
- Back pain after a fall, in an older adult or someone on steroids
- Pain that changes markedly with bending or standing
- Suspected scoliosis or postural deformity
- Assessment before a spinal injection or surgery
Understanding your results
X-ray shows the bones, not the discs or nerves: a normal lumbar spine film does not exclude a disc prolapse or nerve compression, both of which require an MRI. Degenerative changes — reduced disc spaces, osteophytes, facet arthropathy — are extremely common with age and correlate poorly with pain, so they are read alongside the examination rather than as an explanation on their own. Most acute low back pain settles without any imaging at all, which is why guidelines discourage routine early X-rays in the absence of warning features.
Why the preparation matters
No fasting for a standard study, though some centres ask for a light diet the previous evening because overlying bowel gas and faecal loading obscure the lower lumbar spine. Remove belts, metal buttons and anything in your pockets. This region delivers a higher dose than a chest X-ray because the beam passes through much more tissue, so tell the radiographer if you are or might be pregnant.
X-Ray — safety and who should not be scanned
Full X-Ray guideThis is a low-dose ionising radiation test. Published reference figures put a chest X-ray at roughly the natural background radiation an average person absorbs over about ten days — less than a long-haul flight adds. Views through thicker tissue, such as the abdomen or lumbar spine, carry a meaningfully higher dose, which is why they are ordered more selectively. Modern digital detectors need far less radiation than the film systems they replaced, and the beam is collimated to the area being examined.
- Pregnancy, or any chance of it
- Tell the radiographer before the exposure, not after. X-rays of the chest or a limb deliver very little to the uterus and can often proceed with shielding when clinically necessary, but abdominal and pelvic views are usually deferred or replaced by ultrasound. The decision is made deliberately, by a doctor, in every case.
- Children and repeated imaging
- Children are more radiosensitive and have more years ahead in which an effect could appear, so paediatric exposures use reduced settings and every repeat is justified individually. If you have had several X-rays recently, say so — prior images can often be reused instead.
- Inability to hold the position or the breath
- Movement blurs the image and usually means the exposure has to be repeated, doubling the dose for no benefit. Tell the radiographer if pain, breathlessness or unsteadiness will make the position difficult; the view can almost always be adapted or supported.
- Metal and dense objects in the field
- Jewellery, coins, hairpins, bra underwires, belt buckles, dentures and some clothing prints appear as solid white shadows that can hide the anatomy underneath. They are removed before the exposure rather than worked around.
Who should consider this scan
- Adults with back pain persisting beyond four to six weeks
- Anyone after significant back trauma
- Older adults or steroid users with sudden back pain
- People with suspected spondylolisthesis or instability
- Patients being worked up before spinal intervention
Conditions it helps detect
How it works
Patient stories
96% recommend“The phlebotomist arrived exactly on time and was gentle. My report came in five hours with a doctor’s note.”
“Booked at night, sample collected next morning. The parameter breakdown is genuinely thorough.”
“Loved the free doctor review — she walked me through my vitamin D and thyroid results clearly.”