Is going to chiropractors actually safe?

The safety and effectiveness of chiropractic treatment has been studied very carefully. Both the medical community and more importantly, chiropractors themselves need to be completely certain that the care they provide is safe.

To date, no significant findings have shown that the risks are greater than for other back or neck pain treatments. A Canadian study, published in 2001 in the medical journal Stroke, concluded that the stroke associated with neck adjustments is so rare that it is difficult to calculate an associated risk factor. The estimated level of risk is smaller than that associated with many commonly used diagnostic tests or prescription drugs. Neck adjustments are often given by chiropractors to treat headaches and neck pain and they are well within the normal range of motion of the neck.

Most people will have relief following an adjustment. A few individuals may have temporary pain, stiffness or slight swelling but much less than you would have the day after going to gym following a break from exercise. On rare occasions people may have temporary dizziness, local numbness or radiating pain; however, adverse effects are typically short lived and minor. Again, for the vast majority of people chiropractic treatment feels good and is very beneficial for your spinal health.

In summary, complications from chiropractic care are rare. Treatment does not involve risky drugs or surgery and if a chiropractor diagnoses a problem that would better be treated by another health professional, he or she will make an appropriate referral. Chiropractic is widely recognised as one of the safest, drug free, non-invasive therapies available and a person does not have to be in pain to benefit from chiropractic care.