“What are the risks of chiropractic neck adjustments?”

Doctors of Chiropractic are licensed to diagnosed and treat. As long as the Doctor of Chiropractic treats appropriately there is no known danger.

Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal complaints. Although chiropractic has an excellent safety record, no health treatment is completely free of potential adverse effects. The risks associated with chiropractic, however, are very small. Many patients feel immediate relief following chiropractic treatment, but some may experience mild soreness or aching, just as they do after some forms of exercise. Current literature shows that minor discomfort or soreness following spinal manipulation typically fades within 24 hours.

Risks for any therapeutic procedure range from zero to serious harm, with the caveat that most procedures very rarely, if ever, get to the serious end of the spectrum. This is usually the result of negligence, undisclosed pre-existing condition or perhaps just really unfortunate luck. Now back to answering your specific question. The "risks" of a chiropractic adjustment to the neck range from mild temporary soreness in the neck to severe pain in the neck and arm with possible headaches. Some will tell you that a stroke and/or paralysis can be an outcome of an adjustment. These are the super rare cases where there was an unknown pre-existing condition that was not properly screened (or perhaps screened properly but still undetected) prior to an adjustment. Research has shown that one is more likely to suffer a cerebrovascular accident while washing your hair at the salon than receiving a chiropractic adjustment. Chiropractic adjustments are inherently safe for people of all ages, provided they are properly examined prior to the adjustment. Your daughter will do fine with her care plan and I applaud you for being proactive in taking her to see a chiropractor after her soccer injury. Best of luck to the two of you.

There are less risks with chiropractic care than there is with the sport your child is playing. Cervical adjustments are safe and help with a wide variety of symptoms and injuries. We treat pediatric to geriatric patients and no one has ever been injured. It is simply realigning the spine and easing tension, overcompensation of muscles or joints can cause damage to the body. Cervical injuries can hinder her equilibrium resulting in long term balance issues as well as neck pain. The risk involved in treating the subluxation in her cervical spine is minimal to nonexistent, where as leaving it untreated due to fear can result in more issues down the road for your daughter.

The risks of manipulation of the spine are minimal in most cases. A thorough evaluation of the injury allows your chiropractor to rule out contraindications for care and make sure the treatment recommended is safe for your daughter. The most common side effects are soreness, changes to range of motion and local pain but they are not to be expected.

Hi there!

A chiropractic adjustment after an injury is great so the body can heal. Depending on the injury, X-rays might be necessary to be sure there are no risks; if a thorough exam is performed, there shouldn't be any risks besides potentially some tight muscles or something. However, this is all subject to change, again, on how thorough the doc you go to is just like any profession.

In general, chiropractic adjustments are considered some of the safest procedures in all of healthcare. Insurance companies are well aware of risky procedures. Your average orthopedist can pay anywhere between $30,000 to $300,000 per year for malpractice insurance. A chiropractor with equal coverage will be under $1,000 per year. The risk of a young patient having
any adverse effects are slim to none.

This is a controversial topic. There is an infinitesimal small chance of anything bad occurring from your daughter getting her neck adjusted. There is far greater risk of her taking just about any over-the-counter medication and I'm not implying the-over-counter medication isn't safe. It is very safe if it's being done by a licensed chiropractor. You can find more info about this from the American Chiropractic Association website:
https://www.acatoday.org/

Dr. Jonathan Donath, DC, MS

Most patients experience relief after an adjustment, especially younger people without significant stiffness or arthritis. It is possible that she may experience some soreness, but this is unlikely. There is a theoretical risk of severe side effects like stroke which are sensationalized on the internet, but the risk of something serious occurring is vanishingly small. I’ve heard the risk of serious injury from an adjustment being similar to the risk of a serious adverse side effect from taking a single dose of aspirin. Hope that helps!

Hello and thank you for reaching out!

Risks can be associated with a patient’s health history. Some patients may experience soreness in the neck area, headaches, while others can sleep much better after their adjustment. In actuality, this is part of the healing process. Others don’t experience any side effects at all. Yet others can experience more range of motion, or more movement in the area that has been affected. Decrease in pain is another positive side effect of the adjustment. Soreness may result because there is movement that has resulted in the restricted areas of the spine. It could be compared to wearing braces: initially there could be some soreness when the braces are applied on the teeth. After a few days the soreness will go away. Fractured bone is another possibility—again depending if there oseteopenia or weakened bones. Finally there is also a very, very small risk of stroke, but a normal healthy person has much more chance of getting hit by lightning on a sunny day than you do to get after adjustment. Again it’s the doctors responsibility to obtain a thorough health history and examination of the patient who will be receiving the adjustment. Things like elevated cholesterol that is uncontrolled, history of stroke or history of TIA, and history of heart attack may be factors that may be related to having a stroke after the adjustment.

Since I have not seen your 12-year-old daughter, it makes it difficult to comment on potential side effects. If she is a healthy 12-year-old with no other health issues, I would expect the only type of side effects may be soreness and possible headache. Again, It’s important to discuss these details with the treating physician. Personally, I have successfully treated patients two days old all the way up to 103 years old. In fact I safely treat my own kids who are 14 years old is 17 years old (they are avid athletes) through chiropractic adjustments.

Overall, and in General, chiropractic is a very, very safe way to treat various injuries and also to help maintain a healthy lifestyle. It is implemented utilizing various techniques in pregnant women, infants, toddlers, teenagers and all the way up to the older individuals.

Angie Skokos, DC, MS

The risks are minimal. An evaluation, history, and/or X-rays will help determine proper care to achieve maximum results.
Thank you.

1 in 1 million based on latest research

There is not a single medical therapy that is 100% risk feel. Chiropractic is super safe, with risk being one in a million. With a thorough evaluation and history, risk is virtually eliminated.

Hi! As long as there are no fractures or injuries to ligaments in the neck area, an adjustment is completely safe. I would highly suggest for the chiropractor to be specialized in pediatric care.

The incidence of an adverse reaction is very rare. The risks can include a sprained ligament, or a strained muscle most commonly. The Chiropractor will also have a consent for for you and your daughter to fill out in the office. I suggest you read the entire document and voice any concerns you may have at that visit.

There is a very small risk of her having a stroke, but that number is incredibly small. You have a better chance of having a stroke while washing your hair at the hair dresser