How Safe Is Chiropractic Therapy?

We tend to a large number of patients in our Woburn office, and Dr. Ellis has helped countless people manage a range of health challenges. However, a frequent worry that seems to stop some men and women from getting care is whether or not chiropractic care is safe. Luckily, according to three separate studies (out of many on the issue), the answer to this concern is a clear: "Yes! Chiropractic is safe!"

Chiropractic is Safe, According to Australian Study

The first article(1) was published in Spine and involved 183 adults. Each participant reported suffering from spinal pain, and half of the individuals received real chiropractic adjustments whereas the other half received two sham chiropractic treatments. Data was gathered after each real or fake adjustment to determine whether or not any undesirable reactions occurred as a result of the real chiropractic adjustments.

The doctors reported that no one documented any serious negative side effects in any way after getting one or two sessions of chiropractic. Some participants did report that they had a headache (9 percent) or muscle stiffness (37%) after treatment, but the results were not serious.

Large US Survey Reports that Chiropractic Care is Safe

The next research study(2), also published in the prestigious publication, Spine, was done in an effort to ascertain the safety of chiropractic. The study 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 adverse side effects. The experts calculated the risk of total adverse reactions to be approximately 6 out of every 10,000 consultations or every 100,000 treatment sessions. Plus, just as with the previous study, some individuals did report non-serious, milder, unwanted effects such as dizziness (less than 2%) or a headache (4 out of every 100), and this caused the researchers to conclude 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 research paper(3) is different from the previous two reports, 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 adjustments.

Out of 5,438 chiropractic visits made for the young children, chiropractors responding to 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. Furthermore, 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 discover what chiropractic treatment can do for you, call our Woburn clinic 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.