Your February Health Tip From Dr. Mark B. Burdorf
By now I’m sure you have heard of the tragic death of Katie May. I’m not sure whether x-rays were taken when she originally presented to the hospital ER or at the chiropractor’s office.
What I do know is accidents happen and there is a risk with ANY health care procedure. Chiropractic treatment of the cervical spine is very safe. My MD colleagues that perform interventional medicine procedures like facet injections, radio of frequency ablation and epidurals pay 10 times the annual premiums for malpractice insurance that I do.
How can you reduce the risk? NEVER let anyone adjust your neck WITHOUT a proper neurological exam and x-rays. Ligament instability is the cause of nerve irritation which can cause symptoms of pain, changes in muscle tone, alterations of balance and blood vessel swelling. Trauma from single events like car accidents, sports injuries and lifting injuries are one cause. Repetitive stress over time is another cause. The science of the chiropractic adjustment is to get joints that are subluxated or lack normal joint motion to move properly and stimulate pathways into the nervous system and brain to reduce pain, improve muscle tone, improve balance and reduce inflammation.
Performing flexion and extension x-rays of the cervical spine helps determine areas of instability that should not be adjusted and could cause risk to blood vessels of the cervical spine. From my side of the fence, and I have to say after 28 years in practice, I am completely sick of potential new patients calling our office to drop by for a “quick adjustment”. Allow me to do the job I’m trained for and you will likely have a better outcome. All new patients to our practice start as a consult. There is no charge and it’s the opportunity to see if your complaint is something that should be treated in my scope of practice. I refer my x-rays to Scottsdale Medical Imaging. It’s all digital and since our office has portal access it allows me to see the films within a few hours of being taken and often offer treatment to the patient same day.
Click here to read more.
Call our office at (480) 951-5006, or click the button below to schedule an appointment:
