What is the cost of x-ray imaging?

Charles E. Hegedus, D.C. - Jun 22nd, 2011

There is much concern about containing costs in the health industry. One of the ways mentioned is to limit or exclude x-rays. New guidelines come out every so often as to when and for what conditions x-rays should be taken. While it is true that x-rays cause some harm to the tissues, do they have a real value in evaluating the patients condition? I, for one, believe they do. First, they do give a good basis for determining the overall condition of the spine. They show degeneration, arthritis, fractures, malformations, osteoporosis, cancer and many other conditions that would be missed if x-rays weren't taken. In my practice, I have found over a dozen cancers that I would not have known about if I hadn't taken x-rays. I have also found vertebrae that weren't formed properly or there were extra vertebrae or not enough vertebrae. The bottom line is that there are just too many "hidden" problems that could be life threatening if not discovered by taking x-rays. In my opinion, taking x-rays provide more advantages than risks to the patient.