Generally speaking there are very few risks associated with chiropractic adjustments when performed by licensed and trained professionals. Chiropractic care has an excellent safety record. Many of the risks with adjustments are temporary and minor. Though there are a few risks that involve the patient’s health prior to the adjustment.
This is what we are going to go over today. Join me as we go through 3 risks of chiropractic care, how to minimize those risks or how to avoid them all together.
Temporary Discomfort in Treated Area
When you go to the chiropractor, they are manipulating your spine, and joints. It’s common for some patients to experience discomfort in the treated area. Typically this manifests as achiness and soreness in the muscles and tendons around the joints being manipulated. The soreness usually only lasts a few hours post-treatment. In some patients the discomfort can last 24 to 48
hours, but only on rare occasions.
One of the best ways you can reduce the amount of time you feel sore is by applying moisture and heat to your sore muscles. This will let your joints and muscles relax, another fantastic way to help ease soreness is through a warm Epsom salt bath.
Can Cause Low Back Injury
Although chiropractors are there to help treat back pain, there is a risk that there can be lower back pain injury. Usually this occurs when patients have underlying medical conditions that either the patient is unaware of, or doesn’t disclose those underlying conditions to the chiropractor. For those with those conditions, it’s important for you to discuss chiropractic care with both your chiropractor and primary care provider. These conditions include:
- Severe osteoporosis
- Multiple myeloma
- Bone tumors
- Osteomyelitis
- Broken or fractured bones
- Severe arthritis
Bleeding disorders, or structural instability issues can also be cause for concern so be sure to properly communicate any conditions you have.
Chiropractors want to improve your condition so you can get back to enjoying your day. As a patient, being upfront with existing conditions, health issues or challenges you have can greatly diminish any risks involved. You may think they are “small” or “no big deal” however we recommend letting your chiropractor know about any and all pre existing conditions you may have.
Risk of Stroke
This is possibly the rarest risk involving neck manipulation, but it is a possibility. Once again it is a rare risk, some high-velocity neck manipulation may result in a vertebral artery dissection, which can lead to a stroke.
A vertebral artery dissection is when the inner lining of the vertebral artery tears. This artery is located towards the back of our neck and is one of the 4 major arteries that supply the brain with blood. Once torn blood can enter the arterial wall and for blood clots. If a piece of the blood clot were to break off or the expanding artery wall can narrow to the point of restricting blood flow which can result in a stroke. Vertebral dissection can be caused by multiple reasons, not just chiropractic adjustments. Other causes of vertebral dissection include:
- Automobile accidents
- Contact sports
- Roller-coaster rides
- Mechanical stress
Vertebral artery dissection can also happen spontaneously, though usually the patient has an underlying connective tissue disorder that affects the blood vessels.
Symptoms of vertebral artery dissection may occur days or weeks after the tear, these include:
- Slurred speech
- Vertigo or difficulty walking
- Sensory loss of an arm or leg on one side of your body
- Trouble swallowing
If you have these symptoms after any blunt force trauma, not just after a chiropractic neck adjustment call 911 immediately as every minute counts.
The risk of suffering a stroke after chiropractic care is incredibly slim. But we want to make sure you are well informed about the risks of chiropractic care even if the risk is small.
Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine
Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can reach out to us and ask us about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health.
Located in Long Beach, CA we help individuals from the surrounding cities.
We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.
