Is a Chiropractic adjustment a safe procedure?
Chiropractic adjustments are a drug-free, non-invasive approach to common musculoskeletal conditions such as headache, neck and back pain. As such, it is a low risk therapy. Complications arising from adjustments are rare. In extremely rare situations there is a possibility that manipulation of the upper neck may contribute to a stroke. No causative data exists. The risk of stroke from neck manipulation is probably not greater than the risk from natural neck movements such as tilting your head into a sink for hair washing, or turning your head to back up when driving. Medical literature estimates the risk of having a stroke that may be related to chiropractic treatments to be anywhere from 1 in 1 million to 1 in 2.85 million. In fact, the risk of serious complications or even death attributed to the use of NSAIDs (anti-inflammatories) is much greater for neck pain than the slight risk of injury from chiropractic manipulation. Chiropractors are well trained to recognize risk factors in
