Pinole Chiropractic for familiesWe care for a large number of people in our Pinole clinic, and Dr. Jung has helped countless people eliminate a variety of health issues. However, the primary concern that seems to stop some women and men from seeking care is whether or not chiropractic is safe. Fortunately, according to three different studies (out of many on the issue), the answer to this question is a resounding: "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 participant reported affected by some kind of back pain, and half of the individuals received actual chiropractic care visits while the remaining patients were given two fake chiropractic treatment sessions. Data was gathered after each real or fake adjustment to identify if any unpleasant reactions occurred as a result of the actual chiropractic treatments.

The doctors reported that no participants documented any significant negative adverse reactions in any way after getting one or two sessions of chiropractic care. Some individuals did report that they got a headache (just 9% of people) or muscle stiffness (37%) post-treatment, but the effects were not serious.

Nationwide Survey Finds that Chiropractic is Safe

The next article(2), also published in the distinguished journal, Spine, was performed in an attempt to ascertain the safety of chiropractic. The test group was much larger as it involved just under 20,000 people. Each participant received chiropractic adjustments of the neck, with over 50,000 total adjustments for all study participants.

Once again, the researchers discovered no serious adverse side effects. The authors determined 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 (16 out of every 1,000 treatment consultations and 15 out of every 1,000 treatment sessions) or a headache (4 out of every 100), and this caused 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 Children

This third study(3) is unique from the first two reports, as it focuses on the safety of chiropractic care for kids. In this case, 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 young children, chiropractors responding to the survey documented only three cases where there were adverse 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 care has been deemed safe and effective for everyone. To find out what chiropractic can do for you, call our Pinole clinic and schedule an appointment today at (510) 243-7500.

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.
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