Reactions Following a Chiropractic Adjustment

The most common reaction to chiropractic adjustment spinal manipulation is aching or soreness in the spinal joints or muscles. If this aching or soreness occurs, it is usually within the first few hours post-treatment and does not last longer than 24 hours after the chiropractic adjustment. An ice pack often reduces the symptoms of this chiropractic technique more quickly.

Possible Complications after Neck Manipulation

On the most extreme side of chiropractic-related problems, vascular accidents have been reported and critics of chiropractic medicine use this by recommending no spinal manipulation of the cervical spine. One possible serious complication of chiropractic neck manipulation is a vertebrobasilar artery (VBA) stroke.³⁴

The alleged association between and chiropractic visits was recently compared and contrasted with primary care physician (PCP) visits and vertebrobasilar articery stroke. According to the authors of this particular study:

• There was “no evidence of excess risk of VBA stroke associated with chiropractic care compared to primary care.”³⁵
• The alleged correlation more likely had to do with patients seeking chiropractic treatment of already-existing VBA symptoms (headache and neck pain) before the stroke took place.³⁵

Critics of cervical manipulation emphasize the possibility of serious injury, especially to the brain stem. While this is a possibility, documented reports of the incidence of this are very rare.

While no studies have been done to determine the actual rate of stroke following chiropractic neck manipulation, several authors have reported a very infrequent incidence rate of vascular accidents during chiropractic adjustment treatments that include statements such as, "there is probably less than one death of this nature out of several tens-of-millions of manipulations.”³⁶ Similar low risk of cervical manipulation problems after a chiropractic visit is reported by others.^37-39

In the hands of experienced chiropractors, cervical manipulation usually renders beneficial results with few adverse side effects.

With that in mind, discussion concerning reactions to spinal manipulation from the chiropractor is encouraged between the patient and the treating doctor. Obtaining consent for chiropractic adjustment is recommended in writing once questions are addressed by the chiropractor.

References

Complete Listing of References

• Article written By:
• Steven G. Yeomans, DC

October 7, 2009

Print