Do chiropractors take X-rays? A South Loop DC answers what patients actually ask

If you've been looking into chiropractic care in Chicago and you're wondering whether the first visit involves X-rays — you're not alone, and the questions you have are the same ones we hear at the front desk every week. This post walks through the honest answers a South Loop chiropractor gives when patients ask about imaging: why we do it, when we don't, what about the radiation, what it costs, and what your films actually tell us about your spine.

Do chiropractors take X-rays?

Yes — most chiropractors are trained and licensed to take and read X-rays, and many of us use them routinely for new patients. In Illinois, chiropractors complete extensive radiology coursework and board examinations to earn that scope; it's a core part of the education. At Advanced Health in the South Loop, we have digital X-ray systems in-office, so if imaging is indicated we can do it in the same visit rather than sending you across town.

Not every chiropractor takes X-rays, though, and not every case needs them. The honest answer to "will I get X-rays?" is: only if your exam raises a question that imaging is the fastest, safest way to answer. That decision is made after your consultation and physical exam, not before.

Why we take X-rays before starting care

X-rays give us objective information we cannot see from the outside. Specifically, they help with three things:

• Bone and tissue health. We check for degenerative changes, disc height, joint spacing, prior fractures, arthritis patterns, and anything that would change how we treat you.
• The shape of your spine. Have you lost the curve in your neck? Has a segment shifted forward, sideways, or rotated? Those measurements shape the entire plan.
• A safety screen. Occasionally imaging reveals something the patient had no idea was there — signs of a possible growth, an old fracture that healed badly, an infection pattern. Finding that on day one means we refer you to the right specialist promptly instead of treating over the top of it.

There's a saying we lean on: to see is to know. If we are going to work with your spine and nervous system, we want to see exactly what's going on in there first. It's the difference between a customized plan and a one-size-fits-all adjustment schedule.

When we don't take X-rays

We do not X-ray everyone by default, and we don't image on request. If your exam is unremarkable, if you've had recent imaging elsewhere that we can review, if you're pregnant, or if the working diagnosis is a straightforward soft-tissue issue that imaging wouldn't change — we skip it. Pregnancy in particular: we do not image pregnant patients, and our doctors are all Webster-technique trained for prenatal care, so we adapt.

The point of the exam is to answer the question "is imaging going to change what we do next?" If the answer is no, there's no reason to take the film.

What about the radiation?

This is the question we get most, and it deserves a straight answer. A typical chiropractic X-ray series delivers a very small dose of ionizing radiation — well below the levels associated with clinical risk, and comparable to a few days of the background radiation you're already absorbing just from living on Earth. Modern digital systems use a fraction of the radiation older film systems required, and we use the smallest field size and lowest technique that will still produce a diagnostic image.

That said, "small" is not "zero," which is why the exam-first rule matters. We only image when the clinical question warrants it. If you have concerns — you're a frequent flyer for imaging elsewhere, you've had a lot of dental X-rays this year, you're just uneasy about the idea — tell us. We'll talk it through and, if imaging isn't warranted, we won't do it.

New to chiropractic and want to know exactly what you'd get?Our new patient exam includes a full evaluation and, if indicated, X-rays — with a walkthrough of what your films show. Call (312) 987-4878** to schedule, or stop by at 1147 S. Wabash Ave. #250B in the South Loop.

What does a chiropractic X-ray series actually look like?

A typical low-back series is a front-to-back view of the pelvis, sacrum, and lumbar spine, plus a lateral view from the side. A neck series follows the same idea: one from the front, one from the side. That's usually it — two to four films.

If you've had a significant trauma — a car accident, a hard fall, a work injury — we may add flexion and extension views, where you bend forward and backward during the image. Excessive joint motion on those movement films can indicate ligament damage, and that's something we want to know about before putting hands on you.

You stand or sit for the images; you're not in a tunnel. The whole imaging portion usually takes under 10 minutes.

What we look for on your films

When we sit down with your images at your report-of-findings visit, we're checking joint alignment, spinal alignment, bone health, and disc health. Is there narrowing where a nerve exits the spine? Any signs of degeneration or soft-tissue damage that shows up structurally? And it isn't only the spine — knees, shoulders, wrists, and ankles can all be imaged when the exam points there.

We also run your films through software called PostureRay, which digitally analyzes the X-ray and gives us biomechanical feedback down to the millimeter and the percent of shift. That measurement is what allows a Chiropractic BioPhysics plan to be genuinely customized to your structure rather than assigned from a template.

Every film also goes to a radiologist for a second set of expert eyes. Not every clinic does that; we do it to be thorough.

Does insurance cover chiropractic X-rays? What's the out-of-pocket cost?

Coverage depends entirely on your plan. Some plans cover diagnostic imaging in a chiropractor's office; some don't. We verify benefits before we bill anything, so you're not surprised at checkout.

Book your new patient exam. Same-day and same-week appointments are usually available. It's designed to remove the price question from the "should I actually go?" decision. If insurance ends up covering some or all of it, that's a bonus we sort out on the back end.

Do I have to bring old X-rays or MRIs?

If you have recent imaging from another provider — within the last year or two for X-rays, longer for MRI — bring it or send the disc or portal link ahead of your visit. We'll review it first, and if the films are recent enough and cover what we need to see, we won't repeat them. Duplicate imaging without a clinical reason isn't something we do.

What happens after the images are read

You come back for a report-of-findings visit. We sit down together with your films on the screen, walk through what we see, explain what's likely driving your pain, and lay out a specific plan of care — adjustments, spinal decompression, physical therapy, soft-tissue work, or a combination. You leave knowing what's happening in your spine and exactly what the next 8, 12, or 24 weeks of care would look like.

For patients in corrective care, we typically re-image at the end of the plan and compare the before-and-after side by side. That comparison is objective evidence of structural change — not just "I feel better." Many patients tell us that side-by-side is the most motivating moment of their care.

The short version

Yes, most chiropractors take X-rays, and at our South Loop clinic we take them when the exam tells us they'll change how we treat you. We don't image on request, we don't image everyone, and we don't image when the answer is already clear. When we do, it's because we'd rather see what's going on in your spine than guess at it — and because a plan built on measurements holds up better than a plan built on a hunch.

If you've been putting off getting evaluated because you weren't sure what the first visit involves, now you know. Schedule your new patient exam and X-rays, or call us at (312) 987-4878 — we're at 1147 S. Wabash Ave. #250B in the South Loop, above the Trader Joe's, and same-week appointments are usually available.

This is general information, not medical advice. Book an exam for a diagnosis specific to you.