Chiropractic Proven Safe

We see a large number of patients in our O'Fallon, IL clinic, and Dr. Komeshak has helped countless people manage a wide array of health problems. In spite of this, a frequent worry that seems to prevent many people from seeking care is whether or not chiropractic adjustments are safe. Luckily, according to three separate studies (out of quite a few on the issue), the answer to this question is a clear: "Yes! Chiropractic is safe!"

Australian Study: Chiropractic is Safe

The first research paper(1) was published in Spine and included 183 adults. Each person reported affected by spinal pain, and half of the individuals received real chiropractic care while the other half received two sham chiropractic treatment sessions. Information was gathered after each real or fake adjustment to see whether or not any unfavorable negative effects were caused by the real chiropractic treatments.

Researchers reported that no one documented any serious adverse side effects at all after receiving one or two sessions of chiropractic care. Some participants did report that they experienced a headache (9 percent) or muscle stiffness (37%) after treatment, but the effects were not of a serious nature.

Nationwide Survey Reports that Chiropractic is Safe

The next research study(2), also published in the influential medical journal, Spine, was done in an attempt to ascertain the safety of chiropractic care. The study group was much larger as it involved just under 20,000 patients. Each participant received chiropractic adjustments of the cervical spine, with over 50,000 total adjustments for all study participants.

Again, the experts found no serious negative side effects. The authors computed 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 first study, some volunteers did report non-serious, milder, side effects such as dizziness (about 1.6%) 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 Your Children

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

Out of 5,438 chiropractic appointments made for the young ones, chiropractors responding to the survey documented 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 has been found to be safe and effective for everyone. To discover what chiropractic can do for you, call our O'Fallon, IL clinic and make an appointment today at (618) 624-4242.

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.