Chiropractic Proven Safe

We care for a large number of patients in our Woburn office, and Dr. Ellis has helped many people manage a range of health issues. Even so, a frequent concern that seems to stop some folks from pursuing treatment is whether or not chiropractic is safe. Fortunately, according to three separate studies (out of quite a few on the topic), the answer to this concern is a resounding: "Yes! Chiropractic is safe!"

Australian Study: Chiropractic is Safe

The first research paper(1) was published in Spine and included 183 women and men between the ages of 20 and 85. Each test subject was suffering from spine-related pain, and half of the patients received real chiropractic adjustments whereas the other half received two fake chiropractic treatment sessions. Information was obtained after each real or fake adjustment to discover whether or not any unpleasant side effects were caused by the genuine chiropractic treatments.

The authors found that none of the patients documented any significant adverse adverse reactions in any way 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%) post-treatment, but the results were not serious.

Nationwide Survey Finds that Chiropractic Care is Safe

A second research study(2), also published in the prestigious medical journal, Spine, was done in an effort to establish the safety of chiropractic care. The test group was much larger -- 20,000 people. Each participant received chiropractic adjustments of the cervical spine, with over 50,000 total adjustments for all patients.

Again, the researchers found no serious negative side effects. The authors calculated the risk of total side effects to be approximately 6 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, unwanted 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 Adjustments are Safe for Kids

The third study(3) is different from the first two pieces of research, as it focuses on the safety of chiropractic care for kids. In this article, the authors investigated 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 children, chiropractors responding to the survey reported only three cases where there were adverse effects. When parents were questioned, 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 find out what chiropractic can do for you, call our Woburn office and make an appointment today at (781) 460-0939.

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.