< Back to list of FAQs.

Our chiropractors London offer safe chiropractic adjustment

Safety concerns related to chiropractic are a perfect example of “junk science”. People who like to discourage others from getting chiropractic care often argue about this.

Because of these concerns, there have been numerous studies done on the topic. The results below show the findings from different studies on chiropractic adjustments.

Chiropractic adjustment is safe

1. 1972 – One death in several tens of millions of adjustments.1
2. 1978 – One in 10,000,000 neck adjustments.2
3. 1981 – One in a 1,000,000 neck adjustments.3
4. 1983 – Two to three per 1,000,000 chiropractic adjustments.4
5. 1985 – One in 400,000 neck adjustments.5
6. 1993 – One in 3,846,153 neck adjustments.6
7. 1995 – One in 2,000,000 neck adjustments.7
8. 1996 – One in 900,000 neck adjustments.8

The most recent in-depth review of the relationship between stroke and chiropractic adjustment, was published in the February 15, 2008 issue of Spine Journal.

The report looked at 10 years of hospital records, with over 100 million person-years. The result? There was no clear evidence of increase in the risk vertebral artery dissection with chiropractic. Based on these results, cases of stroke and vertebrobasilar dissection in particular should be considered as unsystematic and random complication of any neck movement, including cervical manipulation.

To sum it up, cases of serious injury due to chiropractic adjustments are virtually nonexistent. Compared to this, more people die due to side effects from over-the-counter pain relievers.

Although reports vary, annual deaths in the United States attributable to NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, ketoprofen and tiaprofenic acid) range from 3,200 to higher than 16,500 deaths and 76,000 hospitalisations.

Even insurance companies that are averse to risk acknowledge the safety of chiropractic care. Chiropractors pay only a fraction of the premium that medical practitioners have to pay. Undoubtedly, chiropractic care is safe.