3 Primary Reasons Chiropractors Use X-Rays In Their Practice

Chiropractors use different medical tools to help diagnose and treat their patients, including x-rays. X-rays help chiropractors confirm diagnostics, identify soft tissue and disc issues and track treatment process.

#1 Confirm Diagnostics

There are a variety of different diagnosis that a chiropractor may want to use an x-ray to confirm based upon your medical history. For example, if you are a petite woman who has gone through menopause, your chiropractor may want to use an x-ray to see if you have osteoporosis. Or if you are elderly and are complaining of pain in your joints, you may have arthritis, which could be confirmed with an x-ray.

For chiropractors, just like for other doctors, an x-ray is a way to determine if their diagnosis of your condition is correct.

#2 Identify Issues

X-rays are often used to identify bone and joint issues. Conditions such as osteoporosis, bone fractures and trauma as well as arthritis can all be seen with an x-ray. It is important for your chiropractor to know if you have any bone or joint issues. This will change the way that they treat you and assist you with the issues that you are experiencing.

X-rays are also helpful if you have experienced some trauma, such as a sports or car accident. X-rays can help your chiropractor determine if and how your bones and joints where impacted by the traumatic event that you were involved in.

X-rays are not helpful with identifying soft tissue issues that you may have with your tendons, ligaments or muscles in your back. If your chiropractor suspects that you have soft tissue issues, the best course of action for them to identify and confirm soft tissue issues with your back is through an MRI scan of your spine. This will provide your chiropractor with the vital information they need to address your soft-tissue injuries.  

#3 Track Progress

X-rays are also used sometimes to track the progress of a condition. For example, if you suffer from osteoporosis, your chiropractor may take an x-ray every few years to see how your condition has advanced in your bones. Taking an x-ray every few years will provide your chiropractor with a medical baseline so they can see if your bone and joint condition improves, stays the same or gets worse over time. When you have a diagnosed bone or joint issue, x-rays can be used to monitor the progress of the issue and help adjust the course of your medical treatment. 

For more information, talk to a company like Stroud Chiropractic Clinic.