3D spinal imaging and thermography are the two tools we use to see what is happening in your spine before anyone makes a correction. Our 3D imaging is CBCT, short for cone beam CT: a focused X-ray scan that shows the position of each vertebra in three dimensions. Thermography reads small temperature differences along the spine that reflect how the nerves controlling those areas are working. Together they replace guesswork with measurement.
Most chiropractic care is decided by feel. Feel matters, and Dr. Tim uses it every day, but the top of the spine in particular is too small and too precise for estimating. The atlas weighs about two ounces and carries your whole head. If it sits a few degrees off, everything below it compensates. We want to know exactly which direction and how far before we touch it.
Both scans happen right here in our Ballantyne office as part of your first visit, and we walk you through what they show on screen. You see the same pictures we do.
What each scan tells us
- CBCT: the position and rotation of the vertebrae, especially the atlas and axis at the top of the neck
- CBCT: the curve of your neck and how far it has drifted from where it should be
- Thermography: patterns of nervous system stress along the spine, read as temperature differences side to side
- Thermography: a baseline we can re-scan later to see whether your body is responding to care
Why we measure instead of guessing
Two people with the same neck pain can have completely different problems underneath. One has an atlas rotated to the left, the other has lost the curve in the middle of the neck. They need different corrections. Imaging is how we tell them apart.
Measurement also keeps us honest. When we re-scan after a period of care, either the numbers have moved or they have not. That is a better conversation than "how do you feel," although we ask that too.
Is it safe?
Thermography uses no radiation at all. It is a sensor that reads skin temperature along your spine, and it takes a few minutes.
CBCT is an X-ray scan, so it does use radiation. A cone beam scan of a small area uses a focused beam and a lower dose than a conventional medical CT. We only scan when the result will guide your care, and we explain why before we take anything. If you are pregnant, or think you might be, tell us before your visit so we can plan around it.
How the scans shape your care plan
Your imaging decides which technique we use, which direction the correction goes, and how much force it needs. For upper cervical care it sets the exact angle of the adjustment. For posture correction and cervical lordosis it gives us the starting measurement we track against.
At your report visit we show you the scans side by side with what a well-aligned spine looks like, explain what we found in plain language, and tell you what we think care can and cannot do for you.