X ray of a vertebral body is usually the least useful view. The only indication for whole body X ray screening is in young children whom physical child abuse is suspected. Chiropractic Xrays, when taken for specific complaints such as neck or back pain, are frequently not properly performed in that technique is often not optimal and the appropriate number of views are often not done. Xrays performed in a medical setting are usually performed by licensed X ray techicians under the direct supervision of a radiologist. The elusive subluxation It has long been recognized that there is a moderate amount of variabilty in the appearance of X rays of the neck and lower back vertebra.
Chiropractors claim to detect subluxations by use of X rays.
In medical terms a subluxation is the slippage in position of one veretebral body with respect to an adjacent vertebral body that can be clearly seen on X ray. The only problem is that most subluxations that are claimed to exist by chiropractic analysis can not be found when examined by radiologists or other chiropractors. In blinded studies chiropractors have not been able to find subluxations claimed by other chiropractors.