Chiropractic Proven Safe

We see a large number of people in our Rockville, MD clinic, and Dr. Ashkan Aazami has helped many people manage a variety of health challenges. In spite of this, a frequent issue that seems to stop many people from getting care is whether or not chiropractic adjustments are safe. Luckily, according to three different studies (out of countless on the topic), the answer to this question is a resounding: "Yes! Chiropractic is safe!"

Australian Study: Chiropractic is Safe

The first article(1) was published in Spine and involved 183 adults between the ages of 20 and 85. Each participant reported suffering from spine-related pain, and half of the patients received actual chiropractic care visits while the other half were given two fake chiropractic treatments. Information was gathered after each real or fake adjustment to see if any unpleasant reactions occurred as a result of the genuine chiropractic treatments.

The authors reported that no participants documented any serious undesirable adverse reactions whatsoever after getting one or two sessions of chiropractic. Some individuals did state that they got a headache (9 percent) or muscle stiffness (37%) post-treatment, but the effects were not serious.

Nationwide Survey Finds that Chiropractic is Safe

The second article(2), also published in the important medical journal, Spine, was conducted in an effort to establish the safety of chiropractic care. The study group was much larger -- 20,000 people. Each participant received chiropractic adjustments of the neck, with over 50,000 total adjustments for all patients.

Once again, the investigators discovered no serious adverse side effects. The authors computed the risk of total side effects to be approximately six 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, 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%), and this prompted 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 unique from the previous two reports, as it focuses on the safety of chiropractic care for kids. In this case, researchers analyzed data reported by both chiropractors and parents involving 816 children who participated in 7,173 chiropractic adjustments.

Out of 5,438 chiropractic appointments made for the young children, chiropractors responding to the survey reported only three cases where there were adverse effects. When parents were surveyed, 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 find out what chiropractic can do for you, call our Rockville, MD clinic and make an appointment today at (301) 322-7777.

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.