We at LSM Chiropractic take your health very seriously. It is our duty and responsibility to give you the best, most thorough, and accurate evaluation that we can, regardless of circumstances. In many instances, an x-ray is a vital tool in providing that, and let me explain why.
Before your Chiropractor will take x-rays, they must determine is if your condition is one that is suitable for chiropractic care. Our treatment methods are extremely successful in treating many ailments, but not all. An x-ray is often necessary to ensure that you are in the right office. If your complaint is, in fact, one of the many we treat, then your chiropractor must determine which treatment method, therapeutic modalities, and or exercises will be most effective, comfortable, and safe for you.
ALL conditions, and EVERY patient, require a unique treatment approach, such as altered adjustment vectors, variable amounts of force, and proper lines of drive. Each of these factors must be evaluated in detail, to achieve the common goal of symptom free, full function, without recurrence. X-rays are utilized to assess these patient specific variables through detailed line analysis.
In addition, anything that can be beneficial, if applied improperly, can also be harmful. Chiropractic care is no different. X-ray is utterly irreplaceable regarding contraindications for treatment. Degenerative arthritis, scoliosis, osteoporosis, aortic aneurysms, or even birth variants, are just a few of the many conditions that we see in our offices every day that require special consideration before treatment can begin. Poor results or even injury could result if your doctor is unaware of them. LSM has gone the extra mile to ensure the safety of its patients. We have a full-time Chiropractic Radiologist on staff, Dr. Heather Miley, who is specially trained to read our radiographs. Not only will your chiropractor have the most accurate chiropractic biomechanical information to treat you, but you can be rest assured, that if there are any underlying medical conditions on your film, we will be able to get you to the appropriate health care practitioner quickly if needed. Many medical conditions have been “accidentally” caught before symptoms even began via chiropractic x-ray. Kidney stones, bowel obstructions, bone cysts, and cancer are a few examples.
Are you concerned about radiation exposure?
LSM’s doctors and CRTs are fully trained and must continually train to help minimize patient exposure. Our machines are calibrated and inspected to be in good working order, and we use state of the art digital radiography to help minimize retakes. Because of this, quality radiographs are obtained with a minimum amount of exposure.
Are your recent x-rays from your medical doctor good enough?
Often yes. Your medical x-rays are an adequate evaluation of your condition if a few criteria are met. First, they must be recent. Within the last 12 months would be best, with no significant trauma since they were taken. They also must be weight bearing. There is a great deal of biomechanical information that is necessary to your chiropractor, that is impossible to evaluate if your x-rays are taken while laying down. The films must include all the anatomy requiring evaluation and they must be of good diagnostic quality. If your medical x-rays meet these criteria, we can utilize your images from your medical provider in our offices.
If you have questions about x-rays and their use in our offices, please contact us, and we will be glad to answer any questions.
To see is to know, and not to see is to guess, and we will not guess with your health.
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this page are for informational purposes only. The purpose of this post is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics, including but not limited to the benefits of chiropractic care, exercise and nutrition. It is not intended to provide or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your chiropractor, physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this page.