Why the Rays?! (a discussion on radiographic images throughout Chiropractic care)
Disclaimer: The following post is based purely on opinions deduced through experience. This blog post should not be taken as medical advisement, and all decisions for your healthcare needs should be discussed with your Chiropractor or Health Care Provider.
During the completion of the build out of our new Chiropractic Office, my husband, Dr. Michael Cooledge, and I have been asked, "Why the need for X-Rays?", "Does every patient need them?", "Are they safe?". So I would like to take a moment to enlighten you on our office policy, and why everyone over the age of 12 years old, barring any contraindications or specific needs, will be required to have Radiographic Images [X-Rays] taken of their spine, should they choose to commit to care within our office.
At Thrive Family Chiropractic in Dover, we believe that the power that made the body, heals the body. There is an innate intelligence that resides in all living matter that allows for adaptation and ultimately the ability to survive. To us this means, no matter what has occurred throughout someones life, their body has taken the information given to them throughout each experience [whether it is physical, emotional or chemical] and interpreted the situation in order to adapt and function to the best of its ability. This innate intelligence is flowing throughout your entire body, and the master control system is your brain, and spinal cord. Messages are sent through “efferent” and “afferent” pathways from and to the brain, through the spinal cord, out through the peripheral nerves to every organ, cell, and tissue in the body. Over time, some of these adaptations cause distortions within the body, and if these distortions should become “locked into place”, the system then needs to re-adapt and work around it’s new state. This can result in undo stress to an individual, and, since there is limitations to all matter, degeneration and even dis-ease, will ultimately manifest. So what does this have to do with X-Raying our patients? Your story is uniquely your own, and the condition of your spine, to a chiropractor, is the window into how we can best understand how you function, heal, and adapt throughout life. Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medicine, once said,
"Look well to the spine for the cause of disease".
To us, one of the best and safest ways to fully understand the integrity of your spine, and, ultimate condition of your ability to adapt, heal, and thrive, is by actually getting the full picture. We want to care for each of our patients as the individuals they are, and we know we can best serve our community by getting to know each and every one of our patients at this detailed level.
The above picture is a fantastic representation of how the cervical spine, or the neck, can break down, or degenerate over time when stressors have caused distortions throughout the spine. When these distortions are not corrected, then the body will work around the distortion, and over time cause poor spinal hygiene. You can view the normal progression throughout time, from Stage I to Stage IV, and see how there is a big difference in the spinal integrity, and overall health of that individual. It doesn't take an expert to figure out that the quality of life for the person on the left of the screen, is far greater than the quality of life the person on the right of the screen is experiencing. Although it is natural for the bones in our body to "break down" over time, the things you do in life can either help decrease or increase the rate in which this degeneration occurs. For example, it is common to see a 16 year old (or younger) with spinal degeneration that is more appropriate for one who is in their mid-40s. This is due to improper posture, promoted through our cultural use of technology, academic demands, and even improper athletic training. If what should be a young and youthful spine, with great bone density and form, is experiencing devastating curve and structure distortions at the age of 16 years, where do you see that child's health being in the next 30 years when they have reached their late 40s?
Where do you think you stand? How about your loved ones? The old adage says, “A picture is worth a thousand words”, and at Thrive Family Chiropractic, the images we take of your spine, can truly tell us each individuals personal story, allowing us to care for them in the most specific, and safest way possible.
Feel Free to Contact us with questions or comments about this article. Be sure to put the title of the Blog into the Subject line. To find out more information about Thrive Family Chiropractic of Dover, NH, Visit our Website!
