X-rays: You Pose. We Expose

“To see is to know, to not see is to guess.” – Unknown

Does one build a house without blueprints? Absolutely not. That would be a clown show trying to build a house without being able to reference blueprints. The same goes for our spine. Chiropractors want to see the big picture of what they are dealing with. X-rays give chiropractors more insight on the shape of a patient’s spine and what should or should not be adjusted.  A seasoned chiropractor can have years of experience and have very gifted hands to feel up and down the spine for issues but there is a limitation to how much a chiropractor can feel. Therefore, it is the utmost importance to acquire visuals such as the x-rays films to know exactly what the patient’s spine is presenting with. People are born with congenital abnormalities that they may have no knowledge of until x-rays are taken of their spine and a chiropractor’s goal is obviously not to cause more harm, but without x-rays, increased risk is on the table.

X-rays dictate many factors when it comes to the proper care of a patient. The way chiropractors adjust is heavily influenced by x-rays involving what direction of the adjustment, how much force, and what table or instrument is used. Since our bodies are so good at masking pain because pain is usually the last thing to show up, people can live with subluxations (misalignments of the spine), fractures, anomalies or other contraindications without even knowing they are present or have been present for months to years. One cannot emphasize enough the importance of x-rays. They are a major piece to our puzzle of care and patients benefit the most with results when x-rays are performed.

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