Q. Dear Dr Harvey,
Many of my friends go to chiropractors. Most of them had
an x-ray taken before they were treated. I'm thinking of
going to see a chiropractor myself. Could you explain why
some chiropractors take x-rays and what they are used for?

A. X-rays are a very important part of the diagnostic process in determining the possible cause of your health problems. They are one of the many tools a chiropractor may use to evaluate your condition. Additionally, the consultation and examination may include orthopedic and neurological testing, and specific chiropractic testing may be done.

In our clinic we x-ray most of our patients, with the exception of very young children and pregnant women. We usually only have to take two x-rays, one from the front and one from the side. As a rule we want to see x-rays of our patients before we treat them.

The x-rays give us a vast amount of information that is very useful in the diagnosis and treatment of the patient. It is questionable why some chiropractors don't x-ray before treating a patient.

One of the main reasons to s-ray is to specifically locate and analyze the subluxation. Remember, a subluxation is a misalignment of the vertebrae in your spine which results in pressure on your nervous system. This pressure on your nerves will result in a lack of normal function of those nerves. Eventually the abnormally functioning nerves will result in a symptom such as pain, or lack of normal function of an organ such as the liver or kidneys. Many times these subluxations have no symptoms, and the only way to find them is with the proper x-rays.

It is very common for a patient to come in with a pain in the lower back. After taking x-rays, we find that they actually have a much worse problem in their neck that they didn't even know they had because there were no symptoms in that area.

Once we have the x-ray, we analyze it according to the Gonstead technique. This is a very specific technique which locates the subluxation and then treats it. We find that by being this specific conditions which were not responsive to other approaches can be treated successfully.

Other important information that can be gained from x-rays is the presence of any abnormalities. These may include variations in the way the spine has developed -- which is very common. We may also find fractures, pathology such as cancer, abnormal curves, or degenerative changes.

As the spine ages it goes through degenerative changes. The rate of degeneration is directly related to the amount of misalignment in the spine. In other words, the more severe the subluxations, the faster the spine will degenerate.

Determining the phase of degeneration that your spine is in (1, 2, 3, or 4) is crucial to the way we approach your case. It is also important in projecting your prognosis and the time it will take for you to heal.

In conclusion, I think the best way to sum it up is on a sign that hangs in our x-ray department. It says:

Why chiropractic x-rays?
To see is to know.
Not to see is to guess.
And we won't guess
About your health.

Dr. Gregory D. Harvey, D.C., N.M.D., is the Founder/Director of the New Life Chiropractic Clinic in Solana Beach, CA, just north of San Diego. It is one of the largest clinics in Southern California.

©1999 New Life Chiropractic Clinic,Inc.
983 Lomas Santa Fe #G, Solana Beach,CA 92075
Phone:(619) 509-0800 Fax:(619) 509-9907

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