The Truth About X-Rays: You Are Not Just Your Bones
By Victoria Fik, Non-Physician Osteopathic Therapist
The human body is designed intelligently, with each system having an important function; the musculoskeletal system (our structure), the respiratory system (brings air into the body), muscles and joints (which support movement), fluids (transport nutrients in the body and excrete waste), and so much more.
When we experience discomfort or pain, we might turn to modern medical technology in search of answers. It is important to know that X-rays, MRIs, and other scans are limited in their ability to tell the whole story of your pain or dysfunction. The human body is not just a skeleton. It is a living, breathing organism with many parts that must work together to maintain the body’s ability to self-heal and self-regulate. The body is constantly changing to adapt to its environment. As such, pain, discomfort, and one’s overall health are influenced by a multitude of factors that an X-ray simply cannot measure.
The Limitations of X-Rays
X-rays are useful in diagnosing a variety of conditions that are associated with bones, but these images are only a snapshot in time. They do not capture the nuances of soft tissue health, blood flow, nerve supply, nervous system function, compensations the body is making, or the capacity for healing and recovery long-term. Every individual is unique in their structure, function, and lifestyle. Although they might have the same complaint the contributing factors vary, and so should their treatment plan.
Pain, X-Rays, and Fear
Oftentimes, there can be a fear associated with receiving X-ray results. We’ve found that sometimes, psychologically, seeing these images can worsen the pain for patients (especially in cases where the patient has received the X-ray/ MRI results before they have spoken to a professional about it). These patients feel like they have tried everything and the pain continues to affect their daily life. The reverse is also common – where patients have been suffering from chronic pain for a prolonged period of time, they receive an X RAY/MRI from their doctor, and the results do not reflect any evidence as to why they are feeling the pain.
The Osteopathic Approach
At Nourish Osteo and Wellness, we take X-ray results into consideration when we treat patients, but we are trained to look beyond just the bones for the cause of one's complaint. Osteopathic manual practitioners (non-physicians) spend many years training their perception and palpatory skills in order to feel all layers of the body. This indicates to the osteopath how the tissue is connected to its Health - the perfect template of life.
There are several sensations we can feel that give us an understanding of what is holding the body back from making a full recovery. We look for: tissue texture change, temperature, asymmetry, restriction in range of motion, muscular tension, and much more. These are important details in understanding why someone is in pain and how we can help them heal.
Osteopathic Treatment
When an osteopathic manual practitioner places their hands on a patient’s shoulders, not only can they sense how tight the muscle feels in the area, they can also get an idea of how long the muscle has been in dysfunction and what other connected structures need treatment in order for the shoulder to regain its full function and range of motion. Once they have gained an understanding of what structures are impacting the function, they use osteopathic manual techniques to bring relief to those areas. It is common for practitioners to find blood vessels compressed due to tight musculature or restrictions in joints. Poor blood flow to any area of the body can impact its recovery and function. A scan may show you some degeneration of a joint or a tear of some degree, however, it will not be able to see the lack of blood flow to the tissue impacting its healing, or the strain put on other areas of the body also impacting healing and affecting recovery. This is an important part of tissue recovery and will not be detected on an X-ray or other imaging. The same is true for nerve function - it may significantly impact pain, but not show up on a scan.
These are the minute but significant changes that need to be made to the physical body in order for healing and pain-free function to be sustained. Recovering from pain can often take a multifactorial approach, including osteopathic hands-on manipulation, any lifestyle changes, or referrals to other modalities that could help support your healing journey. Our osteopathic manual practitioners at Nourish Osteo are happy to meet you where you are in your healing journey. We can help you better understand your results and create a plan to bring you closer to your goals.
Let’s work together to create a balanced, healthy, and fulfilling life – because you are so much more than your X-ray results.