Safety of Chiropractic Care
IMPORTANT NOTE: the materials below pertaining to safety represent our opinions and perspectives. Although we have attempted to be accurate and forthright, we cannot guarantee that our comments are flawless. Please exercise your personal due diligence regarding matters of safety.
Millions of chiropractic adjustments are given each year around the world with very few side effects. When side effects do occur, they are usually similar to other manual therapy sessions and may include soreness, bruising or achiness. In extremely rare cases, typically involving seniors, rib fracture is possible. The occurrence of serious injury with chiropractic care is so low that current statistics on adverse effects are difficult to gather.
One rare side effect often associated with chiropractic includes stroke from neck manipulation. While stroke and neck adjustments may seem like a logical link, studies have shown otherwise. Stroke tends to happen around all types of doctors offices. Indeed, medical doctor offices have a slightly higher incidence of random stroke emergencies than chiropractic offices. The association with chiropractic is that an impending stroke causes neck pain for which the patient seeks care (MD or DC). Unfortunately, the stroke is already underway and is not caused by the treatment. In our office, we will take the time at each treatment to assess whether your neck pain is typical for you, or the untoward sign of an impending stroke.
Because all of your health care choices (including not choosing health care at all) have some risk it is wise to consider chiropractic’s safety record against the alternatives. With mainstream medical care, over 2 million people report experiencing adverse reactions from drugs and surgery each year. In fact, thousands of people die every year from side effects caused by their medical treatment. Fortunately, chiropractic care is not burdened by this issue. The graphic below clearly illustrates that chiropractic care is a safe choice.
Relative Risk of Treatment Choices
Chiropractic has always been about providing solid results without the dangerous side effects associated with other treatments. Chiropractic is very safe, especially when compared to other available treatment. If you have further questions please consult the links below or talk to your chiropractor about it.
Helpful Links About Safety
Benefits and Risks of Neck Treatment
American Chiropractic Association
National Institute of Health Study Abstract
Independent Chiropractic Source (Don’t be shy about the short registration, it’s harmless).