Table of Contents
A sore knee after a weekend hike. A shoulder that still aches weeks after a fall. A stiff back that complains every time you sit at your desk for too long. Joint and muscle pain can be frustrating, especially when you don’t know whether to give it more time or ask about a scan.
If you’ve been searching for when to get an X-ray or ultrasound in Australia, the answer isn’t as simple as choosing a scan from a list. The right test depends on your symptoms, medical history, examination, and what your doctor is trying to find out.
Here’s how diagnostic imaging may fit into the picture and where a joint pain telehealth consultation can be useful.
Not every ache needs a scan
It can be tempting to think that an X-ray or ultrasound will provide an instant answer. Sometimes imaging is helpful. At other times, a doctor may recommend monitoring the symptoms, physical treatment or another form of assessment first.
Joint pain and swelling can have many causes, including injuries, overuse, gout and inflammatory conditions. Some acute problems settle over time, while persistent symptoms may need further assessment.
There is another reason doctors don’t automatically order imaging for every musculoskeletal complaint: scans can show changes that may be common with ageing without necessarily explaining someone’s pain. Australian research has also highlighted the potential for imaging to be requested for musculoskeletal complaints where its clinical value may be limited.
So the useful question isn’t simply, “Can I get a scan?”
It is, “Would this scan help my doctor understand what is happening or decide what to do next?”
Read: Chronic Pain is Not Just a Part of Aging: Seeking Help for Persistent Discomfort
When might imaging be considered?
There is no single symptom or time period that automatically means you need an X-ray or ultrasound. A doctor may consider further investigation when pain or swelling persists, follows an injury, affects your ability to use the joint, or occurs alongside other symptoms that warrant assessment.
It is recommended to see a doctor when joint pain or swelling lasts more than a few days, when you cannot put weight through the joint, when fever is present, or when you feel unwell. Depending on the situation, your doctor may consider an X-ray, blood tests or other investigations.
Your history matters too. A fall onto a shoulder, for example, raises different questions from gradually developing knee pain. Your age, previous injuries, medications, other medical conditions and the location and pattern of your symptoms can all influence the next step.
X-ray or ultrasound?
An X-ray can be useful when your doctor needs information about bones or certain changes within a joint.
An ultrasound uses sound waves to create images and can be useful for assessing some soft-tissue structures. It may be considered for certain tendon, muscle, fluid or other soft-tissue problems.
That doesn’t mean an X-ray is “for bones” and an ultrasound is “for muscles” in every situation. The most appropriate investigation depends on the clinical question, and your doctor may recommend another form of imaging instead. Services Australia explains that the type of diagnostic imaging depends on your symptoms and what your doctor needs to see. Diagnostic imaging can include X-ray, ultrasound, CT and MRI.
Where does joint pain telehealth fit?
A joint pain telehealth appointment can be a practical starting point when you’re unsure whether persistent pain needs further assessment. During a consultation, a doctor can ask about when the pain started, whether there was an injury, what movements affect it and whether you’ve noticed swelling, fever or difficulty using the affected area.
A video consultation can be a useful first step, but it doesn’t give a doctor the same opportunity to examine a painful joint or muscle as an in-person appointment. Depending on what you describe and what can be assessed remotely, your doctor may recommend seeing someone in person for a closer examination or further testing. This is particularly relevant when symptoms suggest that a hands-on assessment could help clarify what is happening.
The imaging request should follow an appropriate clinical assessment by the requesting practitioner. For registered practitioners, the same expectations around safe and appropriate care apply when healthcare is delivered virtually.
Also read: How to Manage Chronic Pain: Tips and Guidelines
What is an online radiology referral in Australia?
This is where terminology can become confusing. People commonly say “radiology referral” when they mean the document used to arrange diagnostic imaging. Under Medicare terminology, however, a diagnostic imaging test is generally ordered with a request, while a “referral” has a different meaning for services such as specialist consultations. Services Australia specifically distinguishes between referrals and requests.
A diagnostic imaging request needs relevant information, including the requesting practitioner’s details, the date and a description of the service requested.
That means an online radiology referral service in Australia should not be thought of as simply choosing a scan online and receiving paperwork automatically. The imaging request should follow an appropriate clinical assessment by the requesting practitioner.
What does an imaging referral doctor do?
An imaging referral doctor considers whether imaging is clinically appropriate and, if so, what investigation may help answer the clinical question.
That decision can involve more than the location of your pain. The doctor may consider your symptoms, medical history, previous treatment, injury mechanism and examination findings where an examination is possible.
Medicare arrangements can also vary according to the particular imaging service and circumstances. It is advised to check costs with the imaging provider because providers set their own fees and bulk-billing arrangements can differ.
What about Medicare and the validity of a request?
It is worth checking the current details rather than relying on old advice found online. Services Australia states that diagnostic imaging requests do not expire and remain valid until the service has been performed. Where a single request orders multiple diagnostic imaging services, Medicare benefit rules can include timing requirements for those services.
If you’re unsure whether an existing request can still be used, the imaging provider or your doctor can clarify the circumstances.
When should you seek urgent care?
Some situations are better suited to prompt in-person medical assessment rather than waiting for a routine telehealth appointment.
Seek urgent medical attention if you have severe or rapidly worsening symptoms, a significant injury, an obviously deformed joint, an inability to use or bear weight through a limb, or joint pain accompanied by fever and feeling seriously unwell.
Healthdirect advises prompt medical assessment for acute joint pain and swelling, particularly when symptoms occur with fever, feeling unwell or an inability to bear weight.
The bottom line
Persistent joint or muscle pain deserves attention, but it doesn’t automatically mean you need an X-ray or ultrasound.
If you’re wondering when to get an X-ray or ultrasound in Australia, a sensible first step may be discussing the symptoms with a doctor. A joint pain telehealth consultation can help assess whether further investigation may be appropriate, while recognising that some problems need an in-person examination.
If imaging is considered appropriate, your doctor can provide the relevant diagnostic imaging request and discuss what happens next.
For people considering an online radiology referral service in Australia, the important part isn’t simply getting a form, it’s making sure the request follows a genuine clinical assessment and that the proposed investigation makes sense for your symptoms.
Disclaimer: This article provides general health information and is not a diagnosis or a substitute for individual medical advice. If you’re concerned about persistent pain or developing symptoms, speak with a registered Australian health practitioner.
References:
- Imaging in Low back pain: A cross-sectional analysis of Australian early-career general practitioners’ ordering of imaging for non-specific low back pain. (2025, September 17).
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40977161/ - Joint pain and swelling. (n.d.). Healthdirect.
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/amp/article/joint-pain-and-swelling - Refer or request Medicare services. (2026, July 1). Services Australia.
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/refer-or-request-medicare-services?context=20 - Screening, tests and scans. (2026, September 24). Services Australia.
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/screening-tests-and-scans-covered-medicare?context=60092 - Telehealth. (2025, October 7). Ahpra & National Boards.
https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Resources/Information-for-practitioners-who-provide-virtual-care
Reviewed By: Dr. Momal Ahmad.
