Studies Confirm that Chiropractic is Safe

Studies Confirm that Chiropractic is Safe

Alden Chiropractic for familiesWe care for a large number of people in our Alden office, and Showalter has helped many people manage a wide array of health challenges. In spite of this, a common issue that seems to prevent a lot of men and women from seeking care is whether or not chiropractic care is safe. Luckily, according to three different studies (out of countless on the issue), the answer to this concern is a resounding: "Yes! Chiropractic is safe!"

Chiropractic is Safe, According to Australian Study

The first study(1) was published in Spine and included 183 adults. Each person reported affected by some kind of back pain, and half of the individuals received real chiropractic adjustments while the other half received two fake chiropractic treatments. Data was obtained after each real or fake adjustment to determine if any unfavorable negative effects occurred as a result of the actual chiropractic treatments.

Researchers reported that no participants reported any serious undesirable side effects whatsoever after receiving one or two sessions of chiropractic care. Some individuals did state that they got a headache (9% of patients) or muscle stiffness (37 percent) after treatment, but the results were not serious.

National Survey Finds that Chiropractic is Safe

The second study(2), also released in the prestigious medical journal, Spine, was conducted 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 cervical spine, with over 50,000 total adjustments for all patients.

Once again, the investigators found no serious negative side effects. The authors calculated the risk of total side effects to be about 6 out of every 10,000 consultations or every 100,000 treatment sessions. And, just as with the previous study, some people did report non-serious, milder, unwanted effects such as dizziness (less than 2%) or a headache (4 out of every 100), and this caused the researchers to determine 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 Kids

This third research paper(3) is unique from the previous two pieces of research, as it focuses on the safety of chiropractic care for children. In this article, researchers analyzed results reported by both chiropractors and parents involving 816 children who participated in 7,173 chiropractic adjustments.

Out of 5,438 chiropractic visits made for the children, chiropractors responding to the survey documented only three cases where there were adverse side effects. 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 these three studies (and many more!), chiropractic care has been found to be safe and effective for everyone. To learn what chiropractic care can do for you, call our Alden office and make an appointment today at (716) 937-9870.

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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  1. Dr. Scott Showalter, DC

    Since 1990, I have been practicing chiropractic care, utilizing multiple state-of-the-art techniques: gentle non-force adjustments, Gonstead, Diversified, Activator, Sacral Occipital Techniques, and deep tissue massage. We also offer ultrasound and hydrocollator (steamed clay) hot pack therapy. Based on your individual needs, I will recommend a plan for treatment and use of techniques that suit you best.