The primary danger with chiropractic neck manipulations is stroke. The likelihood of this happening is very slim, but it's a serious enough effect that it deserves consideration. If you suffer chronic or acute neck pain, chiropractic cervical adjustments with or without other modalities may relieve your pain. Tell your doctor immediately if you experience sharp or worsening pain or if have trouble with your vision.
Stroke
A chiropractic neck manipulation can cause a vertebral artery dissection. The vertebral artery runs through the bones of the neck and up into your head and brain. Cutting, tearing or otherwise dissecting this artery causes a stroke. William J. Lauretti, DC, reports the likelihood of this is about one to two strokes for every million cervical manipulations.
Technique
Your chiropractor's technique plays a large part in reducing the danger of cervical manipulation. All movement should be slow and gentle. If your chiropractor turns your neck quickly, he risks vertebral artery dissection by a piece of bone or cartilage or because the force of the movement might be stronger than the elasticity of the artery. For the same reason, your neck should never move more than 45 to 50 degrees. Talk to your chiropractor about your concerns before starting manipulations.
Mobilization
Mobilization is a technique that involves moving the neck within a normal, healthy range. Manipulation is when the neck moves beyond the normal range. Some patients prefer manipulation for relief of pain related to locked joints or when cartilage is trapped between the vertebrae. Sam Homola reports in the "Neurosurgery Journal" that the likelihood of complication after a cervical manipulation is greater than after a mobilization. Request mobilization over manipulation if you have concerns.
Alternatives
Compared to other modalities of pain relief for neck conditions, cervical manipulations aren't the most dangerous. According to Dr. Lauretti, the rate of death from prescriptions for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is approximately four for every 10,000 prescriptions. The rate of death from cervical surgery is from 4,000 to 10,000 for every million surgeries. Talk to your doctor about the possibility of using low-dose painkillers and chiropractic help as complementary modalities.
