IFCO Supports the use of Radiography to Characterize Vertebral Subluxation
The International Federation of Chiropractors and Organizations (IFCO) released a statement in support of radiographs for characterizing the biomechanical nature of vertebral subluxations and for monitoring outcomes following care intended to reduce the severity of those abnormalities. The statement by the IFCO adds to numerous other press releases and statements by other organizations, schools and chiropractic technique experts that have rejected the ACA's restrictive guidelines.
According to IFCO President Liam Schubel DC "The ACA's extremely restrictive guidelines bar the taking of x-rays to assess for vertebral subluxation and to monitor changes in the biomechanical component following care. The IFCO resoundly rejects these guidelines as nothing more than another attempt by the ACA to stop the practice of locating, analyzing and correcting vertebral subluxations."
The following is the text of the IFCO's Position Statement:
International Federation of Chiropractors & Organizations
Statement on Radiography in the Practice of Chiropractic
According to the IFCO, a vertebral subluxation is an alteration of the intervertebral relationships of one or more articulations of the spinal column or the immediate weight bearing components of the axial skeleton; accompanied by a change in the morphology of the tissue occupying the neural canal and/or intervertebral foramina; as well as an alteration of neural function sufficient to interfere with the transmission of organizing information, considered to be homologous to the mental impulse.
The IFCO further maintains and upholds that the objective of the chiropractor is separate and distinct from other health care professionals and disciplines and that it is focused on the location, analysis, and correction of vertebral subluxations.
The chiropractor may use a variety of procedures to assess the vertebral subluxation to determine its presence and arrive at an impression of its location, character, type and chronicity.
One of those procedures is the use of radiographs to characterize the biomechanical aspect of vertebral subluxation and to monitor changes as the subluxation is reduced. The IFCO holds that the use of radiographs for these purposes alone is within the standard of care. The IFCO additionally holds that radiographs may be necessary to determine contraindications to adjusting as well as to determine specific technique related factors that need to be taken into account when applying the adjustment.
Nothing in this position statement absolves the chiropractor from knowing the limits of his or her authority and skill, and from determining the safety and appropriateness of chiropractic care. The chiropractor has a duty to disclose any unusual findings discovered in the course of examination.
