Importance of Taking an X-Ray
X-rays are a common testing protocol for being able to see inside the body without having to make an incision or use other invasive techniques. However with the increasing worry of radiation exposure and the risk of developing cancer, the public is much more hesitant about getting unnecessary imaging done, especially with the evidence of the daily radiation we are exposed to in our environment. I would like to provide my opinion on the subject and provide a little insight on why as a chiropractic physician, I believe it's important for my clinic to utilize X-ray.
Just like most things in life there is always a risk vs reward entity that comes into play. For this discussion, in most cases, the benefits outweigh the risks. However, exposure to ionizing radiation is on the rise. Harvard just released an article stating that over 80 million CT scans are performed in the United States each year (compared to just 3 million in 1980). This is for good reasons such as minimizing the need for exploratory surgeries and other invasive and/or potentially risky procedures but again is exposing the public to more radiation. To give you a better idea CT scans can range from 2 mSv (for just the head) up to 20 mSv or more for the whole body. While typical full spine X-rays average around 2.5 mSv. For a reference the American College of Radiology recommends limiting your life long exposure to a total of 100 mSv, which is equivalent to about 10,000 chest X-rays, but only 25 CT scans. So on average, a chest X-ray, for example, delivers .1 mSv, while a chest CT delivers 7 mSv - roughly 70 times more.
As you can see, obtaining an X-ray is far less invasive (in terms of radiation) than taking a CT scan. The benefits of X-ray technology in the chiropractic office overwhelmingly outweighs the dangers of undetected illness, injury, or disorders that cannot be palpated externally. Adjusting blindly and potentially treating an underlying pathology could be detrimental and put the patient at further risk. Although complications from chiropractic adjustments are extremely rare, it's in the patient's best interest to take X-rays and get a visual aspect as to what is going on inside!
