X-rays
Chiropractors Often Utilize X-ray Studies
 Based
on the nature of your condition as well as a number of other factors,
x-ray studies of your spine or injured body part may be indicated.
Doctors of chiropractic receive over 300 hours of x-ray studies in
college prior to graduating and thus are fully trained to take
radiographs and identify subtle abnormalities of the spine as well as
more serious pathologies.
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X-rays Are Safe and Provide Valuable Information
X-rays
are a relatively safe and cost effective way to view the structure and
general condition of the spine. They can reveal spinal regions under
high stress and expose areas of degenerative change. This can often
provide essential additional information which correlates history and
examination findings allowing for a more accurate spinal analysis and a
more individualized and effective treatment plan. X-rays are also
useful in assessing the appropriateness of chiropractic care as they
can help to rule out the existence of more serious pathological
processes such as spinal fractures, tumors and infections which require
immediate emergency medical intervention.
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Procedures Used To Minimize Exposure
While
prolonged exposure to radiation can be potentially harmful to the human
body, the diagnostic x-rays utilized by the chiropractic doctor pose a
minimal health risk. In fact, according to radiation guidelines for
diagnostic x-ray studies, it would take more than 300 full spine x-rays
performed by a chiropractor for these guidelines to be met. In
addition, the following steps are used to further reduce the amount of
x-ray exposure:
- Only necessary x-ray views will be taken eliminating unnecessary x-ray exposure
- Shielding
& filtration to block or reduce the x-ray beam from affecting
sensitive tissues and areas of nondiagnostic interest
- Rare earth (intensifying) screens can cut x-ray exposure by 50 percent
- Collimation to narrow the x-ray beam to include areas of interest only
- Grids to reduce scatter radiation and improve x-ray quality
- High speed film lowers exposure time by up to 1/12th compared to "hospital" x-rays
- Increasing kilovoltage and minimizing milliamperage further reduces x-ray dosage
- Minimal exposure times of just 100ths of a second
- Regular changing of processor chemicals to give high quality, diagnostic films
- 1988
Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors - Plaugher G.
Textbook of Clinical Chiropractic: A Specific Biomechanical Approach.
Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1993.
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