Spinal Instability Evaluation in Murray, Utah
Persistent neck or back symptoms, a history of trauma, or the feeling that your spine is repeatedly “out of place” do not automatically mean you have spinal instability. They can, however, be reasons to look more closely.
At Comprehensive Chiropractic Clinic in Murray, Dr. Dirk Woodmansee evaluates suspected spinal instability by looking at the history, neurological findings, spinal structure, movement patterns and—when clinically appropriate—imaging findings together.
The goal is not simply to find something abnormal on an image. It is to determine whether there is objective evidence of abnormal motion or structural dysfunction that is meaningful to your individual condition.
What Is Spinal Instability?
Your spine is designed to move. Movement by itself is not instability.
Spinal stability depends on the interaction of the vertebrae, discs, ligaments, muscles and nervous system. When those structures are functioning normally, the spine can move through expected ranges while maintaining appropriate control and alignment.
Spinal instability generally refers to abnormal or poorly controlled movement between spinal segments that may occur following injury, degenerative change or other structural problems.
Symptoms alone cannot confirm instability. Neck or back pain, stiffness, headaches, muscle tension, numbness, dizziness, repeated self-cracking and other complaints can have many different causes.
That is why the first question should not be:
“Do my symptoms sound like instability?”
It should be:
“What does the complete evaluation show?”
How Dr. Woodmansee Evaluates Suspected Spinal Instability
No single symptom, examination finding or image should be interpreted in isolation.
At Comprehensive Chiropractic Clinic, the evaluation is designed to build a more complete picture of what is happening and determine whether additional testing, treatment or referral may be appropriate.
1. History and Injury Mechanism
The evaluation begins with your history.
This may include previous auto accidents, sports injuries, falls, surgeries, repetitive trauma, the onset and progression of symptoms, neurological complaints, previous chiropractic or medical care, and imaging you have already received.
How a problem developed can be important—but the history alone does not establish instability.
2. Neurological and Clinical Examination
When appropriate, the examination may include assessment of strength, reflexes, sensation, range of motion and other neurological or orthopedic findings.
Symptoms such as progressive weakness, significant neurological loss or other concerning findings may require additional medical evaluation rather than—or before— corrective chiropractic care.
3. Structural and Postural Assessment
Because spinal function is influenced by overall alignment and loading, we also evaluate relevant structural and postural findings.
Dr. Woodmansee is Advanced Certified in Chiropractic BioPhysics® (CBP), an approach that uses objective postural and radiographic measurements when appropriate to help evaluate spinal alignment and plan individualized structural rehabilitation.
4. Imaging When Clinically Appropriate
Not every patient needs the same imaging.
Depending on the history and examination, evaluation may involve existing MRI or CT studies, conventional digital radiographs, stress or motion studies, or referral for additional medical imaging.
Different forms of imaging answer different clinical questions.
A static radiograph can provide information about spinal alignment and structure. MRI can provide important information about discs, nerves, the spinal cord and other soft tissues. CT provides detailed information about bony anatomy.
When the clinical question involves how vertebrae move in relation to one another, motion imaging may sometimes provide additional information.
Where Digital Motion X-Ray (DMX) May Fit
Digital Motion X-Ray (DMX) uses fluoroscopic imaging to record the spine during controlled movement rather than capturing only a single static position.
When clinically appropriate, this can allow Dr. Woodmansee to evaluate vertebral motion and relationships through portions of the patient's movement.
That is different from saying DMX “sees everything.”
DMX does not, by itself, directly visualize a microscopic ligament tear or establish exactly which individual ligament is injured. Motion findings must be interpreted in the context of the patient's history, examination, symptoms and other imaging.
In some situations, MRI, CT, medical evaluation or specialist consultation may be more important than—or complementary to—motion imaging.
What Happens If Abnormal Motion Is Found?
An abnormal finding does not automatically mean the same treatment for every patient.
Dr. Woodmansee considers the location and degree of the finding, symptoms, neurological examination, spinal structure, previous injuries and other relevant information before recommending care.
Depending on the individual case, the plan may include corrective chiropractic care, Chiropractic BioPhysics rehabilitation, targeted exercises, postural stabilization or other conservative strategies.
In other situations, additional imaging, medical evaluation or referral may be the more appropriate next step.
The purpose of the evaluation is therefore not simply to “find instability.”
It is to determine what the findings mean for that particular patient and what should happen next.
Why Evaluate Structure and Motion Together?
A static image and a motion study provide different types of information.
For some patients, understanding spinal alignment is important. For others, the clinical question may involve how vertebrae behave during movement. Neurological findings may raise a completely different set of concerns.
Looking at these findings together can provide a more useful clinical picture than assuming that one symptom—or one test—explains everything.
This is especially relevant in patients with complicated histories, previous trauma, persistent symptoms or previous care that has not adequately explained their condition.
Why Comprehensive Chiropractic Clinic?
Dr. Dirk Woodmansee has been in clinical practice since 1997 and holds Advanced Certification in Chiropractic BioPhysics®.
His approach at Comprehensive Chiropractic Clinic emphasizes objective structural assessment, appropriate imaging, individualized corrective care and measurement of change over time rather than assuming that every patient with similar symptoms has the same underlying problem.
The clinic also offers Digital Motion X-Ray when motion imaging is clinically appropriate, allowing structural and motion findings to be considered as part of the broader evaluation.
Research & Clinical Context
Imaging should be selected according to the patient's presentation and the clinical question being investigated. Different imaging methods provide different types of information, which is why the appropriate study depends on the individual clinical situation.
Research involving specific Chiropractic BioPhysics rehabilitation protocols has demonstrated measurable changes in cervical alignment in selected patient populations. These findings support the use of objective structural measurements while recognizing that individual outcomes vary.
References
- American College of Radiology. ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Cervical Pain or Cervical Radiculopathy.
- Harrison DE, et al. Increasing the cervical lordosis with Chiropractic BioPhysics seated combined extension-compression and transverse load cervical traction with cervical manipulation. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2003.
Related Conditions & Treatments
Medically Reviewed
The clinical information on this page has been reviewed and verified by Dr. Dirk Woodmansee, DC, an advanced certified Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) provider in clinical practice since 1997, with extensive experience in structural spinal rehabilitation.
Last Reviewed: September 2026 | Disclaimer
Schedule a Spinal Instability Evaluation in Murray
If you have persistent symptoms, a history of spinal trauma, unexplained neurological complaints, or questions about abnormal spinal motion, the first step is determining what type of evaluation is actually appropriate for you.
Comprehensive Chiropractic Clinic is located in Murray, Utah, and serves patients throughout the Salt Lake Valley.