Chiropractic and X-Ray

     A common question that people ask is “Why do chiropractors x-ray many of their patients?”  There may be a number of reasons, but probably the most common and obvious reason is to search for problems with the spine or skeleton that may be causing pain or symptoms. This can range from very serious problems such as tumors or cancer to relatively minor problems such as early degenerative changes in the spine. A chiropractic doctor is very skilled at determining the cause of a patient’s pain in most cases, however an x-ray image can provide additional information that he can use to evaluate a given case and provide the proper treatment. For example, malignant tumors are fairly rare in the spine, but if present, drastically affect the type of treatment necessary for that patient.

Tumors

     Not all tumors are visible on x-ray but many tumors of the skeleton are visible. It takes a trained eye to recognize normal from abnormal findings on x-ray images and while a chiropractor is given some training in x-ray interpretation, chiropractors will use the expertise of a chiropractic radiologist to make sure that their patients receive the best care possible. Chiropractic radiologists serve a 3 year residency at a chiropractic college, over and above the training required for the doctor of chiropractic degree and are board certified in radiology.

     Other conditions like arthritis and postural changes such as scoliosis are visible on x-ray.  The severity of these conditions can be well quantified with x-ray images.

Radiation

     Sometimes patients are hesitant to receive x-rays because of the radiation exposure. Chiropractors take precautions to limit the amount of radiation by using the proper equipment and techniques. The amount of radiation received by a patient during a typical x-ray study is far below the allowable limits and is not realistically a health concern in the vast majority of patients. The information gained by the x-ray study outweighs the minimal risk of radiation exposure.

     X-ray examination plays a vital role in the diagnosis of spinal and skeletal disease. Chiropractic doctors are in a unique position to take advantage of the information yielded by x-rays and do not hesitate to order these examinations when they are warranted. If a doctor of chiropractic chooses to take x-rays of a patient, that patient may be assured that he is receiving an examination that is likely to provide information that can be obtained in no other way and is necessary to the formulation an effective treatment plan.