Chiropractors can refer for diagnostic imaging if it is considered to be medically justified. However, that does not mean that everyone we see will need an x-ray or MRI scan.
There are strict guidelines about the need for medical diagnostic imaging because some types of imaging expose you to radiation. The clinical benefits of taking images must outweigh the risks of taking, for example, an x-ray. At the Beverley and Driffield clinics, we can only recommend diagnostic imaging if there is a valid clinical reason for doing so. In most cases of non-traumatic musculoskeletal pain, imaging is not needed. If the chiropractor feels it is warranted to refer you for imaging they will explain their reasons for doing so.
At our clinics, we do not have the facilities to image you on site. As part of our 5-year degree, we are taught to take and read x-rays but we find that the need for imaging referral is relatively low and so we prefer to send patients to dedicated imaging facilities if this is required. We have the option to refer privately or through your doctor depending on your preference and need.
Have you already had diagnostic imaging?
If you have already had an x-ray or MRI scan we ask that you bring with the copies of imaging reports to your chiropractic consultation. Generally, we only need to see imaging reports that relate to the area of the body that you are consulting the chiropractor about.
