Safety of Chiropractic Treatment

Safety of Chiropractic Treatment

Chiropractic is recognized as one of the safest, conservative, and non-invasive treatments for the spine.

Over the past 25 years, there have been five formal government investigations into chiropractic, finding it safe and effective (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

Based on the results from over 85 countries regarding the safety and efficacy of chiropractic, no other profession can demonstrate greater safety or effectiveness in the treatment of mechanical injuries to the spine.

Major National Studies

• The national clinical guidelines from the U.S., UK, Denmark, Sweden, and New Zealand, developed by multidisciplinary panels and carried out by their respective governments, recommend chiropractic treatment as a first-line option, among other reasons, because compared to any medication, including over-the-counter anti-inflammatories and analgesics, it has very few risks and side effects.

• The Manga study (6, 7) states: “There is no scientific study that demonstrates or even suggests that spinal chiropractic manipulation is unsafe in the treatment of low back pain.”

• In the RAND study (8), statistics were provided on the overwhelming safety of manipulation compared to conventional medical treatments for neck pain: Comparison of serious complication risk TREATMENT RISK PER MILLION Over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., aspirin) 1,000 3,200 (in those over 65 years) Cervical surgery 15,600 Cervical manipulation 0.5-1.

U.S. insurers, based on the extensive information they gather from their databases, also provide their statistics (9):

Comparison of risks (year 2001) Serious complication from non-steroidal anti-inflammatories 40,000 per million Death from non-steroidal anti-inflammatories 4,000 per million Serious complication from manipulation 1-2 per million

Conclusion

Manipulation, according to scientific evidence, is overwhelmingly safer than conventional treatments for back pain that we consider “safe,” such as the widely used anti-inflammatories.

However, even today, there are still some, increasingly fewer, health professionals in Spain who label manipulation, regardless of who performs it, as unsafe in the face of clear evidence to the contrary.

This only shows their profound ignorance on the subject or ill intent. It should be noted that we are always talking about a manipulative treatment performed only by Doctors of Chiropractic.

Manipulation also has contraindications such as fractures, fracture risk, spinal instability, tumors, etc., which a Doctor of Chiropractic, given the level of university education they receive, can reliably recognize.

Manipulation in the hands of non-professionals is not only ineffective but can also be counterproductive.

Sources

(1) Chiropractic in the United States: Training, Practice and Research, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, AHCPR Research Report, Dec. 1997.

(2) Chiropractic in New Zealand, Report of the Commission of Inquiry, Hasselberg PD, Government Printer, Wellington, 1979.

(3) Medicare Benefits Review Committee, Thompson CJ, Commonwealth Government Printer, Australia, 1986.

(4) Legitimization for Vissa Kiropraktorer, Commission on Alternative Medicine, SOU, 1987.

(5) The Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Chiropractic Management of Low-Back Pain, Manga P, Angus D, et al. Commissioned by the OCA and funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health. Pran Manga & Associates, University of Ottawa, 1993.

(6) Manga P, Agnus D et al (1993) The Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Chiropractic Management of Low-Back Pain, Pran Manga and Associates, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

(7) Manga P, Agnus D (1998) Enhanced Chiropractic Coverage Under OHIP as a Means of Reducing Health Care Costs, Attaining Better Health Outcomes and Improving the Public’s Access to Cost-Effective Health Services, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

(8) Coulte ID, Hurwitz EL, et al (1996). The Appropriateness of Manipulation or Mobilisation of the Cervical Spine. Santa Monica, California: RAND, Document No. MR-781-CR.

(9) Terret AGJ. Current Concepts in Vertebrobasilar Complications following Spinal Manipulation, NCMIC Group Inc. West Des Moines, Iowa, 2001.