You are not going to let a mechanic work on your car without popping the hood first. It is the exact same reason, we want to see what is going on inside the body. First we want to make sure it is safe for the patient, making sure that there aren’t any fractures, displacements, etc. Then we want to see how the structure of the spine is. Does it have a rotational element, what do the curvatures of the spine look like, are there any genetic anomalies, degeneration, etc. Not only does it give us direction on what chiropractic techniques to use, but it also helps us to understand the condition of the spine and how we might be able to improve it and take additional stress off of the spinal cord and nerves