Is Chiropractic Safe?

We care for a large number of people in our Highland Park, Saint Paul, Minnesota clinic, and Robert C Slater, DC has helped countless people overcome a variety of health challenges. Even so, a common issue that seems to prevent a lot of women and men from seeking treatment is whether or not chiropractic adjustments are safe. Luckily, according to three different studies (out of countless on the subject), the answer to this concern is a resounding: "Yes! Chiropractic is safe!"

Chiropractic is Safe, According to Australian Study

The first research paper(1) was published in Spine and involved 183 men and women. Each individual was affected by spinal pain, and half of the individuals received real chiropractic adjustments while the remaining patients were given two sham chiropractic treatments. Information was gathered after each real or fake adjustment to identify whether or not any unfavorable side effects were caused by the genuine chiropractic adjustments.

The doctors found that nobody documented any significant unfavorable adverse reactions whatsoever after getting one or two sessions of chiropractic care. Some participants did state that they got a headache (just 9% of people) or muscle stiffness (37%) post-treatment, but the results were not serious.

Nationwide Survey Reports that Chiropractic Adjustments are Safe

The next study(2), also released in the important publication, Spine, was conducted in an attempt to ascertain the safety of chiropractic. The test group was much larger -- 20,000 patients. Each participant received chiropractic adjustments of the cervical spine, with over 50,000 total adjustments for all study participants.

Again, the researchers discovered no serious adverse side effects. The authors computed the risk of total negative effects to be about six out of every 10,000 consultations or every 100,000 treatment sessions. And, just as with the first study, some volunteers did report non-serious, milder, side effects such as dizziness (less than 2%) or a headache (4%), and this prompted the researchers to conclude that "the risk of a serious adverse event, immediately or up to 7 days after treatment, was low to very low."

Chiropractic Adjustments are Safe for Your Children

The third research paper(3) is different from the previous two reports, as it concentrates on the safety of chiropractic care for children. In this article, the researchers investigated results reported by both chiropractors and parents involving 816 children who participated in 7,173 chiropractic adjustments.

Out of 5,438 chiropractic visits made for the kids, chiropractors responding to the survey documented only three cases where there were adverse effects. When parents were surveyed, they indicated only two adverse side effects out of 1,735 visits. Additionally, both chiropractors and parents reported "a high rate of improvement with respect to the children's presenting complaints."

Based on studies like these, chiropractic care has been found to be safe and effective for everyone. To learn what chiropractic can do for you, call our Highland Park, Saint Paul, Minnesota clinic and make an appointment today at (651) 699-3366.

References

1. Walker BF, Hebert JJ, Stomski NJ, Clarke BR, Bowden RS, Losco B, French SD. Outcomes of usual chiropractic. The OUCH randomized controlled trial of adverse events. Spine 2013;38(20):1723-9.
2. Thiel HW1, Bolton JE, Docherty S, Portlock JC. Safety of chiropractic manipulation of the cervical spine: a prospective national survey. Spine 2007;32(21):2375-8.
3. Alcantara J, Ohm J, Kunz D. The safety and effectiveness of pediatric chiropractic: a survey of chiropractors and parents in a practice-based research network. Explore NY 2009;5(5): 290-5.