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The DMX Report Explained: What Patients Should Look For (and How Doctors Use It)

A Plain-English Guide to Your Digital Motion X-Ray Results

After you complete Digital Motion X-Ray, you may receive a report that includes:

  • Technical terms.
  • Measurements.
  • Segment names (C1–C7, L1–L5, etc.)
  • Findings such as abnormal motion patterns.

Patients often ask:

  • “What does this mean?”
  • “Is this serious?”
  • “How does this change my treatment plan?”

This blog explains the DMX report in plain language so you can be an informed patient.

What a DMX Report Is Trying to Answer

A DMX report primarily evaluates:

  • How the spine moves during guided motion.
  • Whether motion is smooth and normal.
  • Whether certain segments show abnormal translation or angulation.

In simple terms, it asks:

“Are any spinal segments moving too much, too little, or in an abnormal pattern?”

Terms You May See (Plain English)

  • Translation: sliding between vertebrae.
  • Angulation: tilting between vertebrae.
  • Instability: motion beyond expected limits for a segment.
  • Segmental dysfunction: a level not moving normally (too stiff or too loose.)
  • Asymmetry: motion differs on one side vs the other.

Your provider uses these findings to connect mechanical behavior to symptoms.

Why “Where” Matters More Than “How Many Findings”

A report may note one or multiple abnormal segments. What matters is:

  • Do findings match your symptom map?
  • Do they match what movements reproduce your pain?
  • Are they clinically meaningful for your plan?

A good provider integrates DMX with:

  • Your history.
  • Physical exam.
  • Other imaging.
  • Response to previous care.

How DMX Results Typically Influence Treatment

Depending on findings, providers may:

  • Emphasize stabilization over stretching.
  • Modify manual therapy to protect unstable levels.
  • Choose safer exercise progressions.
  • Consider targeted procedures at documented unstable segments.
  • Improve documentation in injury-related cases when relevant.

The real value of DMX is often that it turns a vague complaint into a mechanically specific plan.

What Patients Should Ask After Reading Their DMX Report

Ask your provider:

  1. Which segments were abnormal, and how do they relate to my symptoms?
  2. Which movements should I avoid for now?
  3. What does a stability-focused rehab plan look like for me?
  4. How will we track improvement (symptoms, function, follow-up exams)?
  5. Does this change whether injections, regenerative care, or surgery should be considered?

These questions help you translate the report into action.

The DMX Report Isn’t the End It’s the Map

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DMX provides motion-based information. Your provider uses it to build the right plan. The report doesn’t “treat” you but it can help ensure your treatment matches what your spine is actually doing.

👉 If you’ve had DMX and want to understand the report better, ask your provider to review it with you line-by-line.
👉 Contact DMX Miami for information about Digital Motion X-Ray studies and reporting.

Learn more: Treatment
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Call 305-275-7475 orbook your appointment online

Dr. Rodolfo Alfonso, D.C.
Dr. Mark N. Berry, D.C.
Sunset Chiropractic and Wellness
8585 Sunset Dr. STE 102
Miami, Florida 33143