For years, skeptics of chiropractic care have accused chiropractors
of causing strokes. However, these attacks are not true.
The prestigious research journal Spine found there is absolutely no
evidence of excess risk of stroke following chiropractic spinal
manipulation. In the study, researchers noted that patients are no
more likely to suffer a stroke following chiropractic treatment
than they would after visiting their family doctor’s office.
The issue of a stroke being associated with a chiropractic neck
adjustment focuses around the very rare occurrence of a tear to the
vertebral artery as it passes through the sides of the upper neck
vertebrae and into the base of the skull. An injury to the arterial
wall may lead to formation of a blood clot, which can break free
and travel upward until it lodges in one of the smaller blood
vessels in the base of the brain, blocking circulation.
The study pointed out that any association between a stroke and
chiropractic adjustments in the neck is likely due to patients that
ALREADY HAVE an undiagnosed tear in the artery in their neck, and
are seeing treatment for neck pain and/or headaches before their
stroke.
What you need to know is there are many reports of tearing of a
neck artery after everyday activities such as turning your head,
having your hair washed at a beauty salon, or sleeping on your
stomach.
So the bottom line here is that chiropractic care is extremely
safe. When you consider that errors made by medical doctors kill
over 15,000 people a year and injure hundreds of thousands more,
there is almost no risk of getting chiropractic adjustments in the
neck.
In fact, a research paper published in 2001 in the Canadian Medical
Association Journal found there was only a 1 in 5.85 million risk
that a chiropractic neck adjustment will be associated with a
stroke.
So the next time someone tries to tell you that chiropractic care
is dangerous, or that chiropractors cause strokes, please let them
know this information.
Thanks and have a great day!
Dr. Justin Trosclair DC
