What is a Lumbar Spine X-ray?
It is a plain X-ray of the lower back, specifically of the five lumbar vertebrae that make up the lower (lumbar) spine, the sacrum and coccyx – which are the back part of the pelvis and tail bones. One or more views can be requested; most commonly an “antero-posterior” picture is taken where you face the X-ray beam and the spine is shown from the front to the back, and a “lateral” picture where the X-ray beam comes from the side to show the side of the spine. Other oblique pictures may also be done, as well as pictures of the spine in different positions, i.e. bending over forwards or bending backwards. What is the procedure commonly used for? Lumbosacral spine X-rays are taken to investigate the presence of persistent ongoing pain in the spine, or numbness or weakness of the pelvis and legs. It is used to look for signs of arthritis, i.e. inflammation of the joints between the back bones, degeneration (breakdown due to ageing) of the discs between the bones of the spine or infections
