Studies Confirm that Chiropractic is Safe

Fargo ND Chiropractic for familiesWe tend to a large number of people in our Fargo clinic, and Balance Chiropractic & Rehab has helped many people overcome a range of health challenges. Even so, a frequent worry that seems to prevent many women and men from pursuing care is whether or not chiropractic care is safe. Luckily, according to three different studies (out of quite a few on the subject), the answer to this question is a clear: "Yes! Chiropractic is safe!"

Chiropractic is Safe, According to Australian Study

The first study(1) was published in Spine and involved 183 adults. Each individual reported suffering from some kind of back pain, and half of the patients received real chiropractic care whereas the remaining patients were given two fake chiropractic treatment sessions. Data was gathered after each real or fake adjustment to see if any unpleasant negative effects occurred as a result of the real chiropractic treatments.

The authors reported that none of the patients documented any significant undesirable side effects whatsoever after getting one or two sessions of chiropractic. Some people did state that they got a headache (9% of patients) or muscle stiffness (about 1 out of 3) after treatment, but the effects were not serious.

Large US Survey Reports that Chiropractic Adjustments are Safe

A second study(2), also published in the distinguished publication, Spine, was done in an effort to determine 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 neck, with over 50,000 total adjustments for all study participants.

Once again, the experts found no serious negative side effects. The authors determined the risk of total adverse reactions to be approximately 6 out of every 10,000 consultations or every 100,000 treatment sessions. And, just as with the first study, some people did report non-serious, milder, side effects such as dizziness (16 out of every 1,000 treatment consultations and 15 out of every 1,000 treatment sessions) or a headache (4 out of every 100), and this caused the researchers to determine 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 Kids

This third research paper(3) is different from the first two reports, as it concentrates on the safety of chiropractic care for children. In this article, 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 visits made for the young children, chiropractors answering the survey documented only three cases where there were adverse side 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 discover what chiropractic can do for you, call our Fargo clinic and schedule an appointment today at (701) 893-7878.

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.
Tweet
  1. chiropractor in fargo ND

    Dr. Pozarnsky is in Private practice as a Chiropractic Physician at Balance Chiropractic and Rehab in West Fargo, ND. He specializes in auto and work injury cases as well as general neck and back pain cases. He is an occupational health consultant for large corporations in the West Fargo ND area, and a physical rehab consultant for Doctors, Physical Therapists, Athletic Trainers, Personal Trainers, and Fitness Coaches.