Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal complaints. Although chiropractic has an extremely low risk of potential adverse effects, no therapy is completely without risk. The risks associated with chiropractic, however, are very small. Most patients feel relief instantly following chiropractic treatment, but occasionally mild soreness, stiffness or aching may result, just as you might feel after some forms of exercise. Current research shows that minor soreness following spinal adjustments typically fade within a day.
A neck adjustment, also known as cervical manipulation, works to improve joint mobility in the neck, restoring range of motion and reducing muscle spasm, which helps relieve pressure and tension. Spinal adjustments, when performed by a skilled and well-educated professional such as a doctor of chiropractic, is a remarkably safe procedure.
Some reports have attributed a high-velocity upper cervical manipulation with a certain rare kind of stroke, or vertebral artery dissection. However, evidence suggests that this type of arterial injury often takes place spontaneously in patients who have pre-existing arterial disease. These dissections can also occur with everyday activities such as turning the head while driving, swimming, or having a shampoo in a hair salon. It is important to note that patients with this condition may have neck pain or headaches that lead them to seek care—often at the office of a doctor of chiropractic or family physician—but that care is not the cause of the injury. The best evidence indicates that the incidence of artery injuries associated with high-velocity upper cervical manipulation is extremely rare—about one to three cases in 100,000 patients who get treated with a course of care. This is basically the equivalent to the incidence of this type of stroke among the general population.
If you have neck pain or headaches, be sure to be very specific about your symptoms. This will help your chiropractor offer the safest and most effective treatment, even if it means referring you to another specialist.
When comparing the risk of injury to other types of medical treatments Chiropractic often times is safer. For example, the risks associated with some of the most common treatments for musculoskeletal pain—over-the-counter or prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and prescription painkillers—are significantly greater than those of chiropractic manipulation.
According to the American Journal of Gastroenterology, people taking NSAIDS are three times more likely than those who do not to develop serious adverse gastrointestinal problems such as hemorrhage (bleeding) and perforation. That risk is more than five times among people over 60 years old.
Moreover, the number of prescriptions for powerful drugs such as oxycodone and hydrocodone have tripled in the past 12 years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) these commonly prescribed painkillers are among the leading causes of accidental death in the United States. Around 15,000 deaths per year occur because of overdoses to these highly potent pain killers; that’s more than the number of deaths from cocaine and heroin combined.
Doctors of chiropractic are well trained professionals who provide patients with safe, effective care for a variety of common conditions. They are highly trained to know when it is safe to treat a patient and when it is best to refer them to a specialist.