Studies Confirm that Chiropractic is Safe

We tend to a large number of patients in our Anchorage office, and Mulholland Chiropractic Center, LLC has helped countless people manage a variety of health challenges. Even so, a frequent concern that seems to prevent some folks from seeking care is whether or not chiropractic is safe. Luckily, according to three different studies (out of many on the topic), the answer to this question is a clear: "Yes! Chiropractic is safe!"

Chiropractic is Safe, According to Australian Study

The first article(1) was published in Spine and involved 183 adults between the ages of 20 and 85. Each person was affected by some kind of back pain, and half of the people received actual chiropractic care visits while the other half received two sham chiropractic treatments. Information was gathered after each real or fake adjustment to discover whether or not any unpleasant side effects were caused by the genuine chiropractic treatments.

Researchers reported that no participants reported any serious undesirable adverse reactions whatsoever after receiving one or two sessions of chiropractic. Some individuals did report that they got a headache (9 percent) or muscle stiffness (37 percent) post-treatment, but the results were not serious.

Nationwide Survey Confirms that Chiropractic is Safe

The second article(2), also released in the distinguished medical journal, Spine, was conducted in an attempt to ascertain the safety of chiropractic. The test group was much larger -- 20,000 patients. 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 experts calculated the risk of total adverse reactions to be about six out of every 10,000 consultations or every 100,000 treatment sessions. Plus, just as with the previous study, some individuals did report non-serious, milder, unwanted effects such as dizziness (less than 2%) or a headache (4 out of every 100), and this prompted 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 Is Safe for Kids

The third study(3) is different from the first two pieces of research, as it concentrates on the safety of chiropractic care for kids. In this case, the researchers analyzed data reported by both chiropractors and parents involving 816 children who participated in 7,173 chiropractic adjustments.

Out of 5,438 chiropractic visits made for the young ones, chiropractors responding to the survey reported 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 find out what chiropractic can do for you, call our Anchorage office and make an appointment today at (907) 770-5700.

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.