Is Chiropractic Safe?
In a word—absolutely! Chiropractic care has a remarkable safety record according to a New Zealand government study. People who are skeptical and/or critical of Chiropractic are usually those who do not understand the profession.
Recently, the media has perpetuated the myth that Chiropractic adjustments to the cervical spine (neck) can cause stroke. This claim is simply untrue and not based on medical facts. Statistically speaking, you have as much a chance of having a stroke from a cervical adjustment as you would from any activity that involves turning your head: backing out of a driveway, painting a ceiling, riding a roller coaster, or playing any number of sports. Whenever you turn your head to an extreme, you stretch blood vessels within your cervical spine. This momentary stretch has the potential to block or tear one of these vessels or dislodge a clot. However, the reality is that documented complications following neck manipulations are exceedingly rare.
It’s also interesting to note that the statistics used to support the media's argument include reported events resulting from treatment by physical therapists, massage therapists, orthopaedists, osteopaths, and others who lack the training that today’s Chiropractors receive. It is this in-depth medical training that makes chiropractors the most qualified to safely perform adjustments involving the neck.
Chiropractic is far less dangerous than repeatedly consuming over-the-counter pain medications and anti-inflammatory drugs, which studies have linked to irreversible liver damage. And, obviously, chiropractic certainly involves less risk than spinal surgery.
Perhaps the strongest argument that supports chiropractic safety is the low cost of malpractice insurance. Chiropractors typically pay less than $1500.00 per year for coverage. Medical doctors' premiums, depending on the specialty, can be as high as $30,000.00 per year. If chiropractic is truly risky and dangerous, insurance companies would charge exorbitant rates to provide coverage.