Clarity, communication and control: An interview with Lisa Burris of InControl Imaging

Chiropractic imaging typically serves diagnostic purposes, but this company has taken imaging beyond exploratory X-rays and is using them, in conjunction with other therapies, to offer patients unique new interventions.

Chiropractic Economics recently interviewed Lisa Burris, co-founder of InControl Imaging, which offers innovative treatments combining precise brain and spine imaging with personalized brain training to help patients improve recovery, reduce stress and enhance performance.

Chiropractic Economics: Why did you create InControl Imaging?

Lisa Burris: I created InControl Imaging out of personal experience — years of living with pain, unanswered questions, and misdiagnoses…. Traditional scans said “normal,” yet I was suffering daily with chronic pain and migraines and overstimulation that eventually led to grand mal seizures. What I’ve since learned is that when communication between the brain and spine is disrupted, the body stays stuck in a constant “fight-or-flight” mode. That overactivation keeps pain signals alive, slows healing and makes even basic movement overwhelming. So, after being adjusted cervical I would get lightheaded. I wanted to build something that would stop the guessing for both doctors and patients and give them clear answers. InControl Imaging was born to show, objectively and in real time, what’s really happening in the body so people can finally take back control of their health and recovery.

CE: Why do traditional X-rays and scans miss important information?

LB: Traditional X-rays and MRIs capture still images. They show structure, not function, and that’s where so many crucial details are lost. Ligament injuries and micro-instabilities only appear when the spine is in motion. Without seeing how the body moves, we miss how it communicates. Ligament laxity allows hyperactivity.

When these hidden instabilities go undetected, the nervous system often compensates, leading to chronic pain, overstimulation and fatigue. That’s why so many people are told “nothing’s wrong” when their body is clearly signaling otherwise.

CE; How does the imaging discover traumatic brain injuries, concussions and brain-spine disconnects?

LB: We use a simple but advanced process that evaluates connectivity between the brain and spine. Our real-time motion imaging shows how the spine moves under gentle load—revealing ligament laxity, joint instability or restricted motion—while our central nervous system testing, including heart-rate variability (HRV), identifies whether a person’s nervous system is calm or locked in fight-or-flight [mode].

When the nervous system is overstimulated and unstable, even well-intentioned chiropractic or therapeutic adjustments can create adverse reactions. Understanding that state ahead of time helps providers personalize care, improve safety and accelerate recovery.^1,2

CE: How do motion-guided imaging, brain scans and brain training work together?

LB: It’s all about restoring communication. Motion-guided imaging shows structural stress or instability. Brain mapping and HRV testing reveal how that instability affects brain function. Brain-based training and therapy then retrain neural pathways, restoring balance and performance.

Together, these layers create a feedback loop, detect, correct, retrain and confirm, helping the brain and spine communicate efficiently again. This approach benefits not only those healing from injury but also athletes, first responders and anyone striving for peak performance.

CE: How does this help DCs and their patients?

LB: For DCs and other providers, instead of relying only on symptoms, they can see real-time evidence of spinal motion, ligament integrity and nervous-system balance. That clarity helps them know when and where to adjust, or when a patient may first need stabilization or neurological calm before manual treatment.

Equally important, the patient becomes part of the process. When someone understands where their ligament instability is and how it affects their nervous system, they can take ownership of their recovery through the right stabilization exercises, posture work, and occupational-therapy guidance. The DC does the corrective work, but the patient maintains it, creating lasting results through partnership.

When both provider and patient have clear, objective information, care moves from reactive to proactive, from guessing to knowing.

Lisa Burris is the co-founder of InControl Imaging, a company founded in 2025 that offers advanced brain and spine imaging combined with brain health programs to avoid misdiagnosis of injuries and support early detection, objective documentation and functional improvement. She may be contacted via the company’s website, incontrolimaging.com.

References

1. Thayer JF, Lane RD. A model of neurovisceral integration in emotion regulation and dysregulation. Review J Affect Disord. 2000;61(3):201-216. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11163422/. Accessed November 20, 2025.
2. Panjabi MM. Clinical spinal instability and low back pain. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2003;13(4):371-379. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12832167/. Accessed November 20, 2025.