Chiropractic Proven Safe

Chiropractic Proven Safe

We care for a large number of people in our Lincoln clinic, and Dr. Jerrad Swanson DC, FMT, DN1 has helped many people overcome a wide array of health issues. However, one issue that seems to prevent a lot of men and women from getting treatment is whether or not chiropractic adjustments are safe. Fortunately, according to three different studies (out of many on the issue), the answer to this concern is a resounding: "Yes! Chiropractic is safe!"

Australian Study: Chiropractic is Safe

The first article(1) was published in Spine and included 183 adults between the ages of 20 and 85. Each participant was affected by spine-related pain, and half of the individuals received real chiropractic care while the remaining patients were given two fake chiropractic adjustments. Data was collected after each real or fake adjustment to determine if any unfavorable side effects occurred as a result of the genuine chiropractic treatments.

Researchers found that no one reported any significant negative side effects at all after receiving one or two sessions of chiropractic care. Some individuals did state that they experienced a headache (just 9% of people) or muscle stiffness (about 1 out of 3) post-treatment, but the results were not of a serious nature.

National Survey Finds that Chiropractic Adjustments are Safe

A second research study(2), also published in the distinguished publication, Spine, was conducted in an effort to establish the safety of chiropractic care. The study group was much larger as it involved just under 20,000 individuals. Each participant received chiropractic adjustments of the neck, with over 50,000 total adjustments for all patients.

Once again, the researchers discovered no serious negative side effects. The experts determined 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 people did report non-serious, milder, unwanted effects such as dizziness (about 1.6%) or a headache (4%), 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 Is Safe for Children

This third research paper(3) is unique from the previous two reports, as it focuses on the safety of chiropractic care for children. In this case, the researchers investigated 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 answering the survey reported only three cases where there were adverse reactions. 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 has been found to be safe and effective for everyone. To find out what chiropractic care can do for you, call our Lincoln clinic and schedule an appointment today at (402) 484-5177.

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.