Fact · Accessibility and health
The AAOS patient guide says a doctor may order X-rays when there is limited wrist motion or wrist pain, to exclude other causes.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“If you have limited wrist motion or wrist pain, your doctor may order X-rays to exclude other causes for your symptoms”
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: OrthoInfo, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, OrthoInfo (AAOS), n.d., Diagnosis, Imaging.
Open the original- What it measures
- The guide describes X-rays as images of dense structures such as bone. Other causes include arthritis, ligament injury and fracture.
- What it does not show
- A patient guide. X-rays show bone, not the median nerve, so a normal X-ray does not rule out carpal tunnel syndrome.