| We've all heard stories about someone who was | | | | control group. So an association was drawn |
| crippled or even killed by a Chiropractor. | | | | between manipulation and strokes. The problem |
| Sometimes we're even warned by our family | | | | with making such an opinion is that headaches |
| doctor not to let our Chiropractor adjust us | | | | and neck pain are the early symptoms of this |
| as it may cause a stroke. Even the L.A. Times | | | | type of stroke. So of course more people with |
| recently called the safety of manipulation | | | | neck pain and headaches sought chiropractic |
| into question. Just how safe is chiropractic | | | | care versus those who were in the control |
| treatment? What are the facts? 1. Due to the | | | | group who were pain free. This illustrates |
| extreme rarity of injuries caused by | | | | the problem with association-type studies. |
| Chiropractic treatment and its unequaled | | | | They don't show the cause only association. |
| safety record, chiropractic doctors pay only | | | | For example, the following is a common |
| a fraction (i.e. 1/10 to 1/50) the | | | | example taught in research courses that warn |
| malpractice rates compared to medical | | | | against making conclusions from such studies. |
| physicians. (1) 2. Only 19 deaths have been | | | | Since there are more churches in violent |
| attributed to Chiropractic treatment | | | | neighborhoods, churches lead to violence. |
| worldwide over the latest 65 years studied | | | | Actually, establishing churches are a |
| (1934-1999). In fact, the risk of "serious | | | | reaction to people living in a violent |
| injury" from anti-inflammatory medication | | | | neighborhood, not a cause. In fact, another |
| including Aspirin and Advil is 400 times | | | | study published by the same journal, |
| greater than from manipulation. (2) In other | | | | "Neurology," found fewer people having |
| words, it's much safer to have a chiropractic | | | | strokes if they were adjusted than the |
| treatment for your neck pain or headache then | | | | control group that wasn't. Unfortunately, |
| taking medicine (over the counter or | | | | that never made the newspapers nor did most |
| prescribed). 3. Nearly 10,000 studies have | | | | of the other studies which showed |
| been performed on manipulation (making it the | | | | chiropractic treatment far safer than all |
| most thoroughly studied form of treatment for | | | | other medical treatments. Why the media |
| back pain) and the great majority have found | | | | prints inflammatory stories while ignoring |
| the following when compared to medical | | | | others that would put your mind at ease is |
| treatment: a. Increased patient satisfaction. | | | | beyond the scope of this paper. But it is |
| b. Shortened time to return to activities or | | | | unfortunate that people are being scared away |
| work. c. Less permanent disability. d. Less | | | | from a treatment that is absolutely safer and |
| costly. The governments of several countries, | | | | more effective and by default being directed |
| including the United States (A.H.C.P.R.) and | | | | to one that has significantly greater risks. |
| Canada (Manga), have found manipulation to be | | | | Personally, between Dr. Murray and myself, we |
| the most effective form of treatment for back | | | | have practiced about 40 years and have never |
| pain. In fact, the Canadian report suggested | | | | injured anyone (more than some temporary |
| that Chiropractors be the "gate keepers" for | | | | soreness as part of the treatment). The real |
| back pain saying that it would save Canada | | | | danger comes from having musculoskeletal |
| hundreds of millions of dollars if their | | | | problems that are covered-up with drugs and |
| citizens saw Chiropractor's first. After | | | | surgery. Since the cause is not addressed |
| reviewing all published studies, it was | | | | this way, the patients often get worse, more |
| determined that there were "no medical | | | | discouraged and depressed and there are often |
| procedures that were as safe as Chiropractic | | | | side effects. We use only the safest of all |
| treatment." The British Medical Journal and | | | | procedures and specifically screen for all |
| the U.S. Department of Health and Human | | | | risk factors that make manipulation unsafe. |
| Services found similar results. In fact, the | | | | I'm sure you have already noted how thorough |
| U.S. government reported that physical | | | | we are. This is the only way that you should |
| therapy and acupuncture were not "cost | | | | be treated by any of your doctors. If you |
| effective" and that surgery was useful in | | | | ever have questions about the risks or |
| only 1% of cases. Further, the report was | | | | benefits of any procedure, always feel free |
| emphatic that they should be employed only | | | | to speak to us directly. (1) Malpractice |
| after conservative approaches (like | | | | Statistics from the National Chiropractic |
| manipulation) were first exhausted. So why | | | | Mutual Insurance Company, West Des Moines, |
| are there still news reports of the dangers | | | | Iowa. (2) Terrett, A, Current Concepts in |
| of Chiropractic? Lets take a look at the last | | | | Vertebrobasilar Complications, NCMIC Group, |
| article that was reported by the journal, | | | | Inc., 2001, p 199. |
| "Neurology", and reported in the L.A. Times. | | | | |
| The study found that seven out of the 51 | | | | Dr. Rick Morris is the founder of the The |
| people questioned who had a stroke were | | | | Morris Spinal Stenosis and Disc Center in |
| adjusted by a Chiropractor in the previous | | | | Santa Monica, Ca. |
| month. This compared to two of those in the | | | | |