Anatomy of a Healthy Spine   |   What Goes Wrong   |   Science Put Into Practice
Key Components of The Pettibon System    |   Active Patient Participation    |   Three Phases of Care

Key Components of The Pettibon System

Seated x-rays for diagnosis, testing, assessing progress, and proof of treatment effectiveness

Conventional chiropractic x-ray procedures don't consider spinal soft tissue and spinal muscle and ligament injuries. The Pettibon System X-Ray Procedures do.

That's why you'll be seated when x-rays are taken. As we stated earlier, sitting increases spinal stress by 35% compared to standing and 50% compared to lying down. So in the seated position, weak or injured muscles and ligaments won't be able to hold the vertebrae together, erect, and aligned with gravity.

The misalignments are clearly visible and we can identify, measure, and calculate the amount of muscle and ligament injury and impairment. We'll then compare x-rays of your spine with x-rays of a "normal" spine.

Additionally, The Pettibon System's testing and x-ray procedures enable us to:

 

• Determine if your spine will respond and correct under care.
• Prescribe appropriate treatment plans and assess progress.
• Prove that our clinical care corrected your spine and posture.

To dispel some concerns you may have about x-rays, here are some facts from the Mayo Clinic:

Two routine chest x-rays	.07 millirads
Maximum radiation for a fetus	10,000 millirads
Annual environmental radiation exposure	300 millirads
The Pettibon System X-ray Series	20 millirads
No. of Pettibon X-rays required to exceed 10,000 millirads	3,124

Testing before being accepted as a patient

You're not automatically accepted for care. We need to determine "if" and "how" you'll respond to care. And this requires testing. In one test, you wear weights while your lateral cervical spine is re-x-rayed. Other tests evaluate whether your postural muscles are strong enough for the corrective procedures.

Typically, as many as 40% of prospective patients tested lack the strength and endurance they need. What if that's true for you? You'll be required to go through a rehabilitation program to strengthen your postural muscles before going on to spinal correction.

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