Do You Need X-rays to See a Chiropractor?

X-rays are common practice for many practitioners in the chiropractic profession.

It is an amazing service that can help catch diseases and pathologies, it can be very helpful when looking for fractures, and it is fairly cost-effective for most situations.

But when does it begin to become an issue when everyone and their mothers are being put under X-rays when they go to the chiropractor?

We are going to be making this article very brief and to the point.

X-rays can be beneficial when necessary. Your providers that you are going to, that are relying on X-rays to treat you, are making you pay for unnecessary costs that will most likely not help your pain.

The American Chiropractic Association Has 5 Recommendations:

  1. In the absence of red flags, do not obtain spinal imaging (X-rays) for patients with acute low-back pain during the six weeks after the onset of pain.
  2. Do not perform repeat spinal imaging to monitor patients’ progress.
  3. Avoid prolonged or ongoing use of passive or palliative physical therapy treatments (such as heat, cold, electrical stimulation and ultrasound) for low-back pain unless they support the goal(s) of an active treatment plan.
  4. Do not provide long-term pain management without psychosocial screening or assessment for possible related psychological disorders, most notably depression and anxiety.
  5. Do not prescribe lumbar supports or braces for the long-term treatment or prevention of low-back pain.

How X-Rays Are Typically Used by Your Providers:

  • X-rays to determine where to adjust
  • X-rays used to scare people into prolonged treatment plans
  • X-rays to monitor progress through the awfully long plans
  • X-rays used to determine if the treatment plan got results
  • X-rays used for additional ammunition to continue care if we did not see changes we wanted

Here are some fleeting thoughts for you all…

If your chiropractor needs X-rays to determine where to adjust, how do they know where to touch you if they are relying on the image to see where to go?

Perhaps putting your trust and investing your time, money, and efforts will be better spent on methods that will not rob you of your power and health!

Our skilled providers can easily manage and evaluate where to provide intervention without the need for X-rays and you typically get better results faster.  Our focus is on you not what some snapshot image says about you.

Keep up the great work and LIVE LOUD!

Share with a friend or loved one.