Videofluoroscopy

Also known as Digital Motion X-ray.  Plain x-rays are of limited diagnostic value in painful pathology of the connective tissue and altered biomechanics of the spine. Videofluoroscopy is currently a valuable diagnostic method in evaluating painful hypermobiliey and instability due to posttraumatic and degenerative pathology of capsular and axial ligaments. Evaluation in motion allows a noninvasive opportunity to identify specific segments responsible for pain. As documented in "Pain Management - A Practical Guide for Medical Clinicians, 6th Edition":

• At the upper cervical levels, this technology is capable of identifying excessive motion in the upper neck (atlanto occipital, lateral and median atlanto axial joints) and indirectly, pathology of their respective fibrous articular capsules and periarticular ligaments.
• Capsule-related pathology with hypo- and hypermobility can be identified and documented in cervical zygapophyseal articulations.
• The integrity of posterior ligamentous complex contributing to listhesis-related pathology can be documented.
• Small avulsion fractures can be identified.
• Pathology of TMJ's is visualized and correlated with audio/video captioning.
• Painful instability of peripheral joints such as shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles can also be identified and documented.

Videofluoroscopy studies must be performed with high-quality digitized equipment by well-trained technologists to produce valuable diagnostic information. 

Hospitals use videofluoroscopy, but Larson Chiropractic is the only Billings chiropractic office that offers this service. Because of the many severe automobile accident injuries seen and treated by Dr. Larson, he uses this valuable tool in diagnosing conditions that cannot be seen on regular x-rays.