Does chiropractic manipulation cause strokes?
If you want to know if it is possible, then yes. However, it is very rare that an adjustment will cause a stroke. There are two arteries that travel up the side of your neck vertebrae that can develop plaque as you age. If a chiropractic neck adjustment is delivered with too much rotation or force, plaque can break free from one of those arteries and block an artery in the brain (the basilar artery), causing a stroke. There are tests that a chiropractor can perform to assess your risk of stroke, and a positive test will cause a chiropractor to change his treatment protocol for you. When an Activator tool is used, however, very little force is delivered. At the same time, there is little to no rotation involved in an Activator adjustment. Furthermore, B.E.S.T. is a non-force technique. Both rotation and force are necessary to cause plaque to break loose and create a stroke.
