San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:
I decided when I built Executive Express Chiropractic that I would not have an x-ray machine. Prior to that I had used x-ray for 16 years. The thing is...we had come to use it less and less. Usually only for patients that had red flags. I also knew that current research did not support routine x-rays. In fact, research suggests it's best to wait 30 days unless exam findings point to a serious underlying condition which is rare.
Well...it's been about 8 months now and we have had hundreds of new patients...we have only had to send out for x-rays or MRI about a dozen times. And in most of those cases the imaging still did not give us much useful information.
Sure, there are some chiropractors that use x-ray to decide how to apply their technique and take before and after x-rays which is what I used to do. And I sure don't look down upon any chiropractor that uses x-ray as a diagnostic tool. X-ray has been an integral part of chiropractic since the beginning. And, modern x-ray and shielding does not really expose patients to much radiation. But still, eventually I learned I could accomplish similar outcomes by monitoring posture. The main thing is it keeps costs down for the patient and the doctor...and the system. It's also much healthier for the environment as there are no chemicals to deal with.
Anyway, check out this article entitled: Routine Scanning For Low Back Pain Does Not Help Much to learn more. Let me know what you think by commenting below.
Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic at the Embarcadero Center in the San Francisco Financial District. To schedule an appointment please call 415-392-2225.
Dr. Davis,
Your blog rocks! I love it. Lots of awesome info for patients to get help.
Dr. Martin
Posted by: Dr. Martin | October 22, 2009 at 07:23 PM