In response to the Self Magazine article published recently about Cervical Manipulation, here are some facts to put into perspective the reality of the dangers that were exaggerated in that article versus what patients should really fear.  The article is about a story of a woman who had began having neurological symptoms after a Chiropractor adjusted her neck.  She was diagnosed as having a stroke due to vertebral artery dissection.  The story painted a very negative picture of the safety and efficacy of cervical manipulation.

What the article does not do well is put into perspective the reality of how safe the various fields of medicine are.  The National Center for Health Statistics show that the likelihood of a stroke causing death after a cervical manipulation is 0.00025%.  The general mortality rate of stroke is 0.00057%.  In summary, this means that you are twice as likely to die from a stroke due to pure chance and natural causes than having one caused by cervical manipulation. 

It should also be noted that some of the reported cases of a neurological event associated with cervical manipulation have been caused by medical doctors, osteopathic doctors and physical therapists attempting to perform manipulations.  There are even reported cases caused by people getting their hair washed over the sink at their stylist!

Yet for some unknown reason the fact that medical related errors accounting for over 100,000 deaths in the United States gets swept under the carpet every year.  This is a published statistic from the Institute of Medicine.  These numbers have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA.  Why is this fact not splashed across every newspaper and periodical on a regular basis?  NSAID’s alone such as Aspirin kill over 7,000 people every year in the United States.  A doctor interviewed in the Self article dismissed that fact by stating it is Ok because they are proven to work!!??  Obviously they didn’t work for those 7,000 people who died or for their families who are left to suffer.  The audacity to dismiss the severity of those drug related deaths in the context of being fine as long as it works defies logic.  Could you imagine if Chiropractic, Massage, Acupuncture or any other form of “alternative medicine” killed even a fraction of that number?  It would be plastered on every headline let alone the profession itself would struggle to survive. 

Medical errors and deaths related to “side effects”, drug-drug interactions and so on account for more deaths than heart disease, guns or even traffic fatalities every year.  The finger pointing should be obvious as should the headlines.  Why the same media scrutiny doesn’t exist for medical deaths is dumbfounding.  Big Pharma is deep into the pockets of Washington and state levels and have a heavy influence on political and media relations.  There is big money to be made or lost based on the public’s perception of the pharmaceutical industry.  With over 3 billion dollars being spent on advertising by drug companies I can see why these media sources would feel obligated to represent with bias in an effort not to bite the hand that feeds them.

Chiropractic Physicians need to be diligent in assessing risk factors that may present on a patient visit.  A thorough review of patient history and systems along with a comprehensive exam will help physicians rule out if cervical manipulation might be contraindicated.  A Chiropractor can also utilize other techniques for cervical relief while avoiding rotational maneuvers.  It is also important for you, the patient, to notify your physician if you have had any new traumas or neurological symptoms such as dizziness or recent headache onset.

With that said, the public needs to take a step back and be aware of the big picture when it comes to medically safe procedures.  There is no such thing as a perfectly safe healthcare field; however, statistics show it is not even close how much safer Chiropractic care is compared to the use of allopathic medicine including drugs and surgery.  Again, reference the numbers published by their own sources including JAMA and New England Journal of Medicine.  Thousands of people every year benefit from utilization of manipulation for conditions such as neck pain and headaches, and research shows the Chiropractic field has very high patient satisfaction outcome assessments when it comes to treatment for these conditions.

Patients should scrutinize all forms of healthcare and what you do or put into your body.  Educate yourself with facts, not fiction and erroneous headlines.  Ask all of your physicians about the care they are prescribing and potential side effects.  Be your own advocate and do not ingest any pill without knowing the facts.  If your physician doesn’t give you them then ask your pharmacist or use the Physicians Desk Reference (PDR).

Rather than worrying about cervical manipulation you might want to think twice about the next time you go to pop Advil or Tylenol for that headache.  There are over 16,000 deaths each year to prove it!