How many times have you gotten x-rayed?

Most people have had an x-ray taken at some point in their lives. In fact, x-rays can be great for discovering fractures, dislocations and anything that has to do with the pathology of the skeletal system but also for some soft tissue diseases like pneumonia and lung cancer. The reason why I bring this up is because I went just last week and got my left shoulder and my neck x-rayed. First, I filled out a couple of forms, one of them confirming and signing that I’m not pregnant. After that, they called me in and again asked me, just to make sure, that I’m not pregnant. After I put on one of those gowns, that doesn’t fit no matter what your size is, I posed numerous times for the radiologist to take my “picture.”

 

The days have certainly changed from the first time that I went to get x-rays. Instead of bringing a bulky package of plates to my other doc, I got a disc with my images and I don’t have to return it since they have the originals. I can even go and get as many discs as I’d like as long as I pay for them. As I’m sitting at home in front of my computer working, I’m thinking about how many times can one get x-rayed and not be affected at all by the radiation? Let’s see, I’ve gotten a fair amount of x-rays taken in my adult life, actually in the last ten years of my life. The first ones were to check and see if I suffered from pneumonia, then I got x-rays at my Chiropractor’s office, another one for possible pneumonia, another one at the chiropractor’s office after a serious injury and now this most recent one of my neck and shoulder. Oh, and if it counts, I guess I should include the cat scan I got of my head to make sure that everything looked ok after a particularly serious incident at the gym. I guess it’s a miracle that we are still standing after some of the things that our bodies have to go through. This does not include the times I’ve been to the dentist and gotten my mouth x-rayed…

As a result of the last couple of weeks experiences with the dry needling (trigger point needling) and the physical therapist trigger point massages and exercises, I’ve thought about and not for the first time, how many times can one get x-rayed without any side effects or negative effects at all? Haven’t you ever asked yourself if you can get x-rayed too much? Many times it’s so easy to get a procedure done and not question if it’s necessary and if and what effect it will have on us. When does the benefit of the technology no longer benefit us but turn against us?

Most people who know me also knows that I’m a little bit of a controversial when it comes to certain procedures and prefer to find alternative ways and options to do things that are less invasive. As i’m sitting researching on internet, looking for unbiased information about x-rays and the benefits vs side effects, I understand why we don’t even take the time to find out. A simple search on internet provides me with over 3,000,000 hits on google. Who has the time and the energy to sit and sift through what is worthwhile to make the most informed choices and decisions about our health?

As I continue my quest to find what works for me and my body while minimizing the intake of medicine with a page long note of side effects, I leave the doc’s office trying to walk the fine line of showing my respect for the education and experience of such a person and to still stick with what I believe in.