Chiropractic Treatment Proven Safe

We tend to a large number of people in our Hazleton and Conyngham office, and Eyerly Chiropractic Offices has helped countless people manage a wide array of health challenges. Even so, the primary issue that seems to stop a lot of women and men from seeking treatment is whether or not chiropractic is safe. Fortunately, according to three separate studies (out of many on the issue), the answer to this concern is a clear: "Yes! Chiropractic is safe!"

Australian Study: Chiropractic is Safe

The first study(1) was published in Spine and included 183 men and women. Each test subject reported affected by some kind of back pain, and half of the patients received real chiropractic care while the other half were given two fake chiropractic treatments. Information was collected after each real or fake adjustment to discover if any unfavorable side effects occurred as a result of the actual chiropractic adjustments.

The doctors reported that no participants documented any serious negative adverse reactions in any way after receiving one or two sessions of chiropractic care. Some individuals did state that they got a headache (9% of patients) or muscle stiffness (37 percent) after treatment, but the effects were not of a serious nature.

Nationwide Survey Finds that Chiropractic is Safe

The second research study(2), also published in the influential medical journal, Spine, was conducted in an attempt to establish the safety of chiropractic. The test group was much larger -- 20,000 people. Each participant received chiropractic adjustments of the cervical spine, with over 50,000 total adjustments for all patients.

Again, the experts found no serious adverse side effects. The experts determined the risk of total negative 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 participants did report non-serious, milder, side effects such as dizziness (less than 2%) or a headache (4 out of every 100), 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 Treatments are Safe for Your Children

This third research paper(3) is unique from the previous two reports, as it concentrates on the safety of chiropractic care for children. In this case, the researchers investigated results 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 kids, chiropractors answering the survey reported only three cases where there were negative 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 care has been found to be safe and effective for everyone. To find out what chiropractic care can do for you, call our Hazleton and Conyngham clinic and schedule an appointment today at (570) 455-5822.

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.