We tend to a large number of patients in our Redondo Beach clinic, and Dr. Kadenhas helped countless people manage a variety of health problems. However, a common concern that seems to stop some people from seeking care is whether or not chiropractic care is safe. Well, according to three different studies (out of many on the subject), the answer to this concern is a clear: “Yes! Chiropractic is safe!”
Chiropractic is Safe, According to Australian Study
The first research paper(1) was published in Spine and included 183 adults between the ages of 20 and 85. Each person was affected by spine-related pain, and half of the patients received real chiropractic adjustments while the remaining patients received two fake chiropractic treatments. Information was gathered after each real or fake adjustment to identify whether or not any unfavorable negative effects occurred as a result of the real chiropractic adjustments.
Researchers reported that nobody documented any significant negative adverse reactions at all after getting one or two sessions of chiropractic care. Some people did state that they had a headache (9 percent) or muscle stiffness (about 1 out of 3) post-treatment, but the effects were not serious.
National Survey Reports that Chiropractic is Safe
A second article(2), also published in the prestigious publication, Spine, was done in an effort to establish the safety of chiropractic. The test group was much larger — 20,000 individuals. Each participant received chiropractic adjustments of the neck, with over 50,000 total adjustments for all study participants.
Once again, the experts found no serious negative side effects. The experts calculated the risk of total side effects to be about 6 out of every 10,000 consultations or every 100,000 treatment sessions. Plus, just as with the first study, some individuals did report non-serious, milder, side effects such as dizziness (less than 2%) or a headache (4%), and this prompted the researchers to conclude that “the risk of a serious adverse event, immediately or up to 7 days after treatment, was low to very low.”
Chiropractic Adjustments are Safe for Your Children
The third study(3) is different from the previous two reports, as it focuses on the safety of chiropractic care for children. In this article, the researchers investigated data reported by both chiropractors and parents involving 816 children who participated in 7,173 chiropractic treatment sessions.
Out of 5,438 chiropractic visits made for the kids, chiropractors answering the survey documented only three cases where there were adverse reactions. When parents were questioned, they indicated only two adverse side effects out of 1,735 visits. Furthermore, both chiropractors and parents reported “a high rate of improvement with respect to the children’s presenting complaints.”
Based on studies like these, chiropractic care has been found to be safe and effective for everyone. To learn what chiropractic care can do for you, call our Redondo Beach clinic and schedule an appointment today at (310) 251-0862.
References
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
