X-rays are essential to chiropractic care as they allow chiropractors to see the full picture and spot any potential issues early, helping to ensure treatment can begin immediately if there are issues – they’re especially useful if there has been a recent trauma injury.
Chiropractors use x-rays to assess spinal misalignments and injuries, then create an individual treatment plan tailored specifically for you based on this data.
X-rays are a diagnostic tool
When it comes to chiropractic treatment plans, x-rays are essential diagnostic tools that enable chiropractors to provide patients with top care. X-rays are invisible electromagnetic waves that pass through the body and bounce off hard surfaces like bones or other hard materials before being captured on photographic plates and shown as images on photographic plates. These images can show bone fractures or misalignment which requires professional help in diagnosing. When having in-house x-ray capabilities available allows chiropractors to offer customized and comprehensive therapies designed to alleviate pain, restore mobility, or improve posture for their patients.
Chiropractors use x-rays to identify the source of their patients’ spinal and posture issues, including scoliosis, block vertebrae, bone spurs, infections, tumors and other abnormalities. Furthermore, these scans can highlight postural distortions, segmental malpositions and leg length inequality as well as highlight any abnormalities such as tumors or infections; x-rays cannot however identify problems relating to soft tissues and muscles so MRI scans are typically required instead.
They are non-invasive
Chiropractors use an integrative approach to treat the entire body. Their methods consist of natural, non-invasive techniques like spinal decompression, acupuncture and nutritional guidance – often combined with low-impact exercises that aid recovery.
X-ray imaging enables chiropractors to accurately observe the bones’ position and alignment, helping them better understand what may be causing a patient pain, as well as determine if there are any bone diseases present. It is also beneficial for diagnosing any problems like arthritis.
However, unless there has been significant trauma or bone misalignment, your chiropractor is unlikely to request x-rays as there are other diagnostic tools that can assess injuries without risking radiation exposure – magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT scans) are great ways of evaluating injuries as well as tracking progress of chiropractic treatment plans.
They are safe
X-rays offer your chiropractor a panoramic view of your body’s structure. They can identify fractured bones and abnormalities that enable him/her to pinpoint the source of any issues as well as determine the most suitable treatments.
Importantly, it should be remembered that x-rays only detect bones; they cannot show muscle pain or other soft tissue issues that cause your discomfort. If your pain stems from muscular issues rather than bones, an x-ray may not reveal it and compromise any chiropractic treatment plans in place for treatment of that area of concern.
Avoid chiropractors who routinely take x-rays on all or almost all patients; unnecessary imaging incurs both financial costs and radiation exposure for no benefit to the patient. Furthermore, avoid those who compare your x-ray to one with a textbook-perfect spine while promising that changes to it can occur – this practice is potentially harmful and should be avoided altogether.
They are affordable
Referred by their primary physician to chiropractors, patients can expect affordable costs for consultation and treatment sessions. When both an x-ray imaging technician and chiropractor are on staff during visits, all necessary steps will be taken during patient appointments ensuring optimal results for every visit – both specialists working together can create tailored plans specifically for every individual patient’s visit.
A qualified chiropractor will use x-rays to identify an array of problems, from bone spurs and tumors to fractures and more. Furthermore, using these images allows the practitioner to estimate how long they may need chiropractic care – something especially helpful if experiencing serious backache.