This somewhat controversial article by health editor Jeremy Laurance was first aired on the independent.co.uk website some years ago. However, many of us use or have used, or may be considering visiting a chiropractor or osteopath as a treatment for chronic back pain, and we should certainly be aware of any risk before submitting to any intervention.
The premise is that people seeking treatment for neck and/or back pain from a chiropractor, osteopath or physiotherapist offering spinal manipulation may be putting themselves at risk of a stroke or other serious injury.
This view is supported by the results of a pilot survey of 239 consultant neurologists, which found 24 who recalled at least one case of a serious neurological complication after manipulation of the cervical spine (the neck) occurring in the 12 months from August 1998 to July 1999. The commonest injury was a stroke caused by damage to the arteries in the neck or the blood vessels in the brain.
This included one woman admitted to hospital four hours after having her neck manipulated, who was found with damage to her vertebral artery, which was blocked by a blood clot. Next morning she was barely conscious and had to have surgery to reduce the swelling in her brain. She was left with problems walking.
Now it is certainly not my intention to discourage anyone from using manipulation for their problems, (I have used both chiropractors and osteopaths myself, with good results) and there are some risks involved with almost any treatment, but a stroke is a significant thing and we should be aware. The risk is admittedly very small, but it is there.
You can read the full article here, and there is even more information at this link.
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