How Often Do Chiropractors Mess Up?

Usually, all chiropractors use spinal manipulation techniques to treat low back pain and other musculoskeletal disorders. It typically involves a high-velocity thrust, a procedure in which the targeted joints are adjusted rapidly, which often produce popping sounds. This results in the stretching of joint capsules, which according to chiropractic professionals, adjust the position of the joints, spinal cord, and nerves – causing the nervous system to function properly and improve the body’s overall biomechanical efficiency. 

Many experts consider spinal manipulation as a beneficial form of treating back pain. The evidence from various clinical trials, however, is often less convincing for chronic back conditions.

There are many health experts who have expressed doubt about the safety of spinal manipulation. Hemiplegia (paralysis of one side of the body) is a particular concern after upper spinal manipulation. The first thing a person wants to know about any kind of treatment — alternative or otherwise — is either it works or not. Until that is clarified, all talk of regulation, qualification, and so on is just void.

Usually, people just want to confirm if it will help them. But for “chiropractic” a lot of questions appear. What kind of chiropractic treatment?  How much of it? Does it work for a particular neck or back condition? Just simply asking if “chiropractic works” is not enough to have a meaningful answer. It is not usually a fair question to ask a chiropractor as a whole. But it is still the question that people usually ask, so we have to handle it as well.

It is medically proven that some chiropractic treatments do “work” in certain ways and for some individuals. The major factor in the usefulness of chiropractic care is not the nature of chiropractic treatment as a profession, but the good sense and skill of the chiropractor whose hands are along your neck, back, or other body joints. Ethical and intelligent practitioners of any profession will always deliver better care and treatment than less competent people of their own or any other helping profession.

Chiropractic care often involves a bit expensive but quick treatments. However, it is the sales tactics and marketing that many people consider to be distasteful and aggressive, if not downright unethical. These may include pre-paid treatment processes, and the hawking of many other products and services that are much more blatant quackery, like ear infection treatment and, applied kinesiology. Research concluded that more than 40% of treatment payments to chiropractors were for unnecessary procedures. Plus, there’s a risk that anything could possibly go wrong?

Adjustment of the neck could be dangerous. Is there a risk? Or, considering the stakes, is this risk acceptable? Many chiropractors also recommend regular treatment plans for children and even babies (which may be dangerous for their life). Critics say this is an alarming extreme of dangerous acts in chiropractic: a treatment with higher risks and even more suspicious benefits.

Conclusion

Studies suggest that most spinal manipulations are safe and effective, especially for acute neck and back pain, headaches, ringing in the ears, sinus problems. According to the American Chiropractic Association, the mishap incident ratio is very small and it is estimated to be between  1 in 100,000 and 1 in 6,000,000 manipulations. Most health experts advise finding a licensed and experienced chiropractor to avoid complications.