How Safe Is Chiropractic Care?

We see a large number of patients in our Anchorage clinic, and Mulholland Chiropractic Center, LLC has helped many people manage a wide array of health issues. Even so, a frequent issue that seems to prevent some men and women from getting care is whether or not chiropractic care is safe. Fortunately, according to three separate studies (out of quite a few on the subject), the answer to this concern is a clear: "Yes! Chiropractic is safe!"

Australian Study: Chiropractic is Safe

The first study(1) was published in Spine and involved 183 men and women between the ages of 20 and 85. Each test subject reported suffering from some kind of back pain, and half of the patients received real chiropractic adjustments whereas the remaining patients were given two sham chiropractic treatments. Data was collected after each real or fake adjustment to see whether or not any unfavorable reactions occurred as a result of the real chiropractic adjustments.

Researchers found that no one reported any serious undesirable side effects at all after receiving one or two sessions of chiropractic care. Some individuals did state that they had a headache (just 9% of people) or muscle stiffness (37 percent) post-treatment, but the effects were not of a serious nature.

Large US Survey Finds that Chiropractic is Safe

The next article(2), also published in the prestigious journal, Spine, was conducted in an attempt to establish the safety of chiropractic. The study group was much larger -- 20,000 people. Each participant received chiropractic adjustments of the neck, with over 50,000 total adjustments for all patients.

Once again, the experts found no serious adverse side effects. The authors computed the risk of total side effects to be approximately six out of every 10,000 consultations or every 100,000 treatment sessions. And, just as with the previous study, some participants did report non-serious, milder, side effects such as dizziness (about 1.6%) or a headache (4 out of every 100), and this prompted the authors to determine that "the risk of a serious adverse event, immediately or up to 7 days after treatment, was low to very low."

Chiropractic Is Safe for Children

The third study(3) is unique from the previous two reports, as it concentrates on the safety of chiropractic care for children. In this case, the researchers investigated data 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 young ones, chiropractors answering the survey documented only three cases where there were adverse side 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 judged safe and effective for everyone. To learn what chiropractic care can do for you, call our Anchorage office and make an appointment today at (907) 770-5700.

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.