Chiropractic Proven Safe

Chiropractic Proven Safe

We tend to a large number of people in our Lenexa clinic, and Dr. Isom has helped many people manage a range of health issues. In spite of this, one worry that seems to stop many women and men from getting treatment is whether or not chiropractic care is safe. Fortunately, according to three separate studies (out of countless 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 women and men between the ages of 20 and 85. Each individual reported suffering from spinal pain, and half of the patients received real chiropractic care whereas the other half were given two sham chiropractic treatments. Data was gathered after each real or fake adjustment to identify whether or not any unpleasant reactions occurred as a result of the real chiropractic adjustments.

The doctors found that none of the patients reported any serious adverse side effects at all after receiving one or two sessions of chiropractic care. Some participants did state that they experienced a headache (just 9% of people) or muscle stiffness (37 percent) post-treatment, but the effects were not serious.

Large US Survey Finds that Chiropractic is Safe

The next article(2), also released in the prestigious publication, Spine, was conducted in an effort to determine the safety of chiropractic. The test group was much larger -- 20,000 patients. Each participant received chiropractic adjustments of the neck, with over 50,000 total adjustments for all patients.

Once again, the researchers discovered no serious adverse side effects. The experts calculated the risk of total negative effects to be about six out of every 10,000 consultations or every 100,000 treatment sessions. And, just as with the previous study, some people did report non-serious, milder, unwanted effects such as dizziness (16 out of every 1,000 treatment consultations and 15 out of every 1,000 treatment sessions) or a headache (4 out of every 100), and this caused the authors to conclude that "the risk of a serious adverse event, immediately or up to 7 days after treatment, was low to very low."

Chiropractic Care Is Safe for Kids

The third study(3) is unique from the first two pieces of research, as it concentrates on the safety of chiropractic care for children. In this case, the authors analyzed data reported by both chiropractors and parents involving 816 children who participated in 7,173 chiropractic treatment sessions.

Out of 5,438 chiropractic visits made for the young children, chiropractors answering the survey reported 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 has been deemed safe and effective for everyone. To discover what chiropractic care can do for you, call our Lenexa office and make an appointment today at (913) 735-9565.

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.