What Are INSiGHT Scans?
A simple guide to the technology we use as part of your chiropractic assessment
When you come into Restore, one of the things you may notice is that our chiropractic assessment looks a little different.
Alongside taking the time to understand your health history, goals and what has brought you in, we may use INSiGHT scanning technology to gather additional information about aspects of your neuromuscular and physiological function.
The scans are non-invasive and don't involve radiation. They provide information that our chiropractors can consider alongside your history and physical examination to help build a broader picture of what's happening for you.
So, what exactly are we measuring?
What are INSiGHT Scans?
INSiGHT is a suite of assessment technologies used by some chiropractors to collect information relating to muscle activity, skin temperature patterns and heart rate variability.
At Restore, depending on your age, presentation and clinical needs, your assessment may include:
Surface Electromyography (sEMG)
Thermal scanning
Heart Rate Variability (HRV).
Each scan measures something different.
Importantly, INSiGHT Scans don't diagnose medical conditions. They're assessment tools, and their findings need to be interpreted in the context of your broader clinical picture.
1. Surface EMG
Looking at muscle activity
Surface electromyography, or sEMG, measures electrical activity associated with muscles.
Small sensors are placed against the skin at different points alongside the spine. The technology records muscle activity in these areas and displays the information visually.
This can give your chiropractor additional information about patterns of muscular activity, including areas where activity may differ from side to side.
It doesn't diagnose the cause of muscle tension or tell us that someone has a particular health condition. Instead, it's one piece of information considered alongside movement, physical examination and your individual history.
2. Thermal scanning
Measuring skin temperature patterns
Thermal scanning measures differences in skin temperature along the spine.
Skin temperature can be influenced by many factors, including blood flow, environmental temperature and physiological activity.
During the scan, a sensor is gently moved along either side of the spine to record temperature patterns.
Your chiropractor can consider these measurements alongside the other information gathered during your assessment.
A thermal scan doesn't diagnose autonomic dysfunction, inflammation, nerve damage or disease.
3. Heart Rate Variability
Looking at variation between heartbeats
Your heart doesn't beat at perfectly even intervals.
There are tiny variations in the amount of time between each heartbeat. This is known as Heart Rate Variability, or HRV.
HRV is influenced by the autonomic nervous system and is widely used in research, sport and health settings as one physiological measure associated with autonomic activity and adaptability.
During an HRV assessment, sensors record the timing between heartbeats over a short period.
The result provides a snapshot taken at that particular point in time. HRV can be influenced by many factors, including:
sleep
physical activity
breathing
stress
illness
medications
age
fitness
time of day.
For this reason, HRV isn't interpreted in isolation and isn't used at Restore to diagnose dysautonomia, anxiety, stress disorders or other medical conditions.
Why do we use three different scans?
Each scan looks at something different.
sEMG → muscle activity
Thermal → skin temperature patterns
HRV → variation in heart rhythm
Together, they can provide additional information for your chiropractor to consider alongside your consultation and physical assessment.
No single number, colour or pattern tells us everything we need to know.
The value comes from considering the information in context.
What do the colours mean?
One of the first things people often notice about their scans is the different colours on the screen.
It's easy to look at a scan and think:
“Red must mean bad and green must mean good.”
It's not quite that simple.
The colours are a visual way of representing the measurements collected by the technology. They need to be interpreted by your chiropractor in relation to the type of scan, your history and your other assessment findings.
Rather than focusing on achieving a particular colour, we're interested in understanding what the measurements mean within your individual clinical picture.
Do INSiGHT Scans diagnose nervous system dysregulation?
No. You may see INSiGHT technology described online using terms such as “nervous system scans”, “stress scans” or “dysautonomia scans”.
At Restore, we aim to be clear about what the technology actually measures.
The scans don't diagnose:
nervous system dysregulation
dysautonomia or POTS
ADHD or autism
anxiety
sensory processing conditions
digestive disorders
sleep disorders
hormonal conditions
other medical or developmental conditions.
Some of the measurements, particularly HRV, can provide information related to autonomic activity. That isn't the same as diagnosing a disorder of the autonomic nervous system.
What happens during the scans?
The process is generally straightforward and non-invasive.
Depending on which scans are appropriate, you'll usually be asked to sit or stand while the chiropractor or team member takes the measurements.
Nothing is injected into the body, and the scans don't use X-rays or ionising radiation.
For children, we'll explain what's happening in an age-appropriate way and work at a pace they're comfortable with.
Why might we repeat the scans?
In some circumstances, your chiropractor may recommend repeating relevant measurements as part of a progress assessment.
This allows us to compare measurements taken at different points in time alongside other information, such as your clinical examination and how you're progressing towards the goals discussed with your chiropractor.
Changes in a scan aren't considered proof that a medical condition has improved, and scan results aren't used as a substitute for appropriate medical testing.
Scans are one part of the picture
Technology can give us useful information, but it doesn't replace listening to the person sitting in front of us.
That's why your assessment at Restore starts with your story.
What brought you in? What are you noticing? What's your health history? What are your goals? How is your body moving and functioning?
Your chiropractor then considers any relevant scan findings alongside your consultation and physical examination.
From there, they'll explain what they've found, whether chiropractic care is appropriate and what the next steps may look like.
A clearer picture of your assessment
The purpose of using INSiGHT technology isn't to give you another diagnosis or label.
It's simply another way for us to gather information as part of a broader chiropractic assessment.
At Restore, our goal is to make that information understandable.
We'll talk you through what was measured, what your results can — and can't — tell us, and how those findings fit alongside the rest of your assessment.
Because when it comes to understanding your health, the scan is one piece of the picture — not the whole story.
Important information
INSiGHT scanning technologies are assessment tools and don't diagnose, treat or predict medical, neurological, developmental or psychological conditions. Results should be interpreted alongside an appropriate clinical history and examination. If you have concerns about a medical condition, speak with your GP or another appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
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Original article:INSiGHT Scans: The Technology Transforming Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care
Original author:Dr Tony Ebel, DC, CPPFC, CCWP
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Original Article
Adapted from What Is Subluxation? by Dr Tony Ebel, DC, CPPFC, CCWP, originally published by PX Docs.