Digital X-Ray in Surprise, AZ
Digital X-rays in Surprise, AZ, taken on site and read with you the same day by the doctor who also performs your adjustment, acupuncture and dry needling. At Legg Chiropractic and Acupuncture, Dr. Derek M. Legg, D.C., M.P.H. does not X-ray everyone. Whether you need imaging at all comes from your history and your examination, and when you do, the film is on the screen in seconds and read with you in plain language, not mailed off to a lab. New self pay patients start at $49 for a first visit that includes the consultation, exam, X-rays if clinically necessary, and first treatment. Walk ins are welcome Monday through Thursday.
Are digital X-rays safe?
Digital X-ray uses a low dose of radiation, often cited as up to eighty percent less than the old film systems, because the digital sensor is far more sensitive and needs far less exposure to make a clear image. It is the same standard imaging your medical doctor uses. We also do not image you unless your examination shows a reason to, so you are never exposed for a film you did not need. If you are pregnant or think you might be, tell us and we do not take the image.
Digital X-ray versus traditional film
Traditional film had to be developed, took more radiation to expose, and could not be changed once it was shot. A digital X-ray appears on the screen in seconds, uses far less radiation, and can be sharpened and enlarged so the detail is easier to see. It is also simple to store and to share with another provider if you are ever referred. For you that means less waiting, less exposure, and a picture Dr. Legg can turn the screen around and walk you through on the same visit. If you want to know what a film actually shows before you see one, the guide to understanding your X-rays walks through it in plain words.
What we use X-rays for
An X-ray is used when the examination raises a question a film can answer: the deep spinal structure behind back pain and neck pain, the alignment issues that can drive headaches and migraines, the arthritis or disc height involved in sciatica and radiating pain, the joint surfaces in shoulder and hip pain, and above all the fracture or instability that must be ruled out after auto accident injuries and work injuries. Whether you need one at all comes from your examination. See the full list of conditions we treat.
Why we take an X-ray before we adjust
An adjustment moves a joint, and before Dr. Legg moves anything he wants to know what he is moving. A film shows the things an examination alone cannot: a hidden fracture, significant osteoporosis, or a structural issue where an adjustment would be the wrong choice. That is the safety step. It is also how the adjustment and the rest of your treatment plan get built around your actual cause, at the right angle and the right force, instead of a guess. Find it, fix it, keep it starts with finding it.
What happens at the examination
Range of motion, the joints that are not moving, the muscles that are guarding, the nerve and strength tests that point to a level, and a history that asks when it started and what makes it worse. Only then does the question of imaging come up. If a film is needed it is taken on site in a few minutes and read with you at your report of findings the same visit. Existing imaging is welcome, and when a case needs more than an X-ray can show we offer an MRI review. Read more about your first visit.
How the film shapes the treatment plan
The film tells Dr. Legg where to adjust and where not to, and how much force a joint can take. Acupuncture and dry needling then target the muscles guarding the levels the film points to, corrective exercise teaches the body to hold the change, and a posture evaluation deals with what keeps reloading the spine. When the X-ray shows disc height loss, spinal decompression can be added. All of it happens in the same visit with the same doctor.
Do I have to have X-rays to be seen?
No. Dr. Legg images you only when your history and examination show a reason. Many patients are adjusted without any film at all, and the decision is explained to you either way.
Are the X-rays done in the office?
Yes. Imaging is taken on site at 13757 W Bell Rd #101 in Surprise and read with you the same visit, so there is no second appointment at an imaging center and no waiting on a report. Same day appointments are available and walk ins are welcome Monday through Thursday.
How much radiation is in a digital X-ray?
A low dose, often cited as up to eighty percent less than old film, because the digital sensor needs far less exposure. We image only when the examination calls for it. If you are or might be pregnant, tell us and we do not take the image.
Does Medicare or insurance cover chiropractic X-rays?
Original Medicare does not cover X-rays ordered by a chiropractor, even when the film is used to document the problem, so a chiropractic X-ray is billed as self pay. Medicare does cover medically necessary spinal adjustments, which we bill directly. Acupuncture and dry needling by a chiropractor are also not covered by Medicare. Some Medicare Advantage plans do cover imaging, so we verify your benefits and quote any X-ray before it is taken, and nothing on your bill is a surprise. The $49 first visit for new self pay patients includes digital X-rays if they are clinically necessary. More detail is on our Medicare page and our insurance page.
Do I need a referral for an X-ray?
No. Arizona allows you to see a chiropractor directly, and the X-ray is ordered and read in the same office by the same doctor. Care after a crash is covered on the auto accident injuries page, including how imaging and billing work when there is a claim.
Visit us
Legg Chiropractic and Acupuncture, 13757 W Bell Rd #101, Surprise, AZ 85374, inside Sheitelman Physical Medicine on West Bell Road, minutes from Sun City West, Sun City, El Mirage, Litchfield Park, Waddell, Peoria and Goodyear. Call (623) 214-7600 or book online. Monday to Thursday, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Arizona time. Dr. Derek M. Legg, D.C., M.P.H. earned his Doctor of Chiropractic at Logan University and a Master of Public Health, reads your imaging with you himself, and you see the same doctor at every visit. Learn more about Dr. Legg, see every service we offer, or read about chiropractic care in Surprise, AZ. Individual results vary. Reviewed by Dr. Derek M. Legg, D.C., M.P.H. Last reviewed September 2026.