X-Ray Safety and Usage

Chiropractic Physicians Regularly Utilize Diagnostic X-rays

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. Chiropractic Physicians receive over 300 hours of x-ray studies in college prior to graduating. They are also tested on these procedures in their national board and state board exams. Thus, your Doctor is fully trained and certified to take radiographs and identify abnormalities of the spine as well as more serious pathologies. The Physicians at Suncoast Healthcare Professionals have approximately 100 additional hours of post- doctoral radiographic studies each.

X-Rays are Safe and Provide Valuable Diagnostic Information

X-rays are a safe and cost effective way to view the structure and general condition of the spine as well as the other joints of the body. They reveal the true condition of spinal regions, illustrate abnormal areas of stress, and expose areas of degenerative variation. This provides essential information which your Doctor integrates with your history and examination findings to render your diagnosis. Diagnostic X-rays allow for accurate biomechanical analysis and individualized, effective treatment plans. 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.

Factors to Decrease Exposure

While prolonged exposure to radiation can be potentially harmful to the human body, the diagnostic x-rays utilized by Suncoast Healthcare Professionals pose a minimal health risk. We have installed a high-frequency generator and a 2/3 phase x-ray machine to lower radiation exposure. 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:

• Necessary and Specific x-ray views: eliminating unnecessary x-ray exposure.
• Shielding and filtration: block or reduce the x-ray beam from affecting sensitive tissues and areas of non-diagnostic interest.
• Rare Earth (intensifying) screens: can cut x-ray exposure by 50 percent.
• Collimation: narrows the x-ray beam to focus on specific anatomy.
• Grids: reduce scatter radiation, and improve image contrast and quality.
• High speed film: lowers exposure time by up to 1/12th compared to hospital x-rays.
• Increasing kilovoltage & minimizing milliamperage: further reduces x-ray exposure.
• Minimal exposure time: as small as 100ths of a second.
• Regular changing of processor chemicals: give high quality, diagnostic films.

Radiologic Science for Technologists: Physics, Biology, and Protection. 6 th Edition; Stuart C. Bushong. St. Louis : Mosby, 1997