MYTH #1 - CHIROPRACTIC IS NOT SAFE
A number of literature reviews of serious occurrences from chiropractic adjustments have been documented. The most exhaustive study discussed 113 cases of vertebro-basilar accidents following spinal manipulative therapy from 1934 to 1987, a period of 53 years. Of the cases documented 66 were chiropractic, 18 medical, 9 osteopathic, 2 physical therapist and the remaining 13 were divided among "wife," "self," and "unknown."
Let's put these numbers in perspective. There were 66 chiropractic cases in 53 years; a little more than one per year. There are currently about 52,000 chiropractors in practice treating, on average, about 100 patients per week. That works out to 5.2 million adjustments per week or 286 million adjustments per year. This works out to 1 to 2 cases of stroke, paralysis or death per 286 million adjustments. One author, a medical doctor, stated about manipulation in general, "there is probably less than one death of this nature out of several tens-of-millions of manipulations." Some medical authors state that the risk of manipulation to the neck is 0.0002%, or 2-3 cases per million.
No matter how one interprets the results, more people die from complications of drugs and surgery in one single afternoon than in 20 years of cervical adjustments. As a comparison to the risk of manipulation, the risk of death from surgery to the cervical spine is 700 per million. From 1947-1978 in cases of stroke-related death following manipulation, 9/10 of the deaths were attributed to manipulation by MD, DO or PT.
MYTH #2 - ONCE YOU GO TO A CHIROPRACTOR YOU HAVE TO GO FOREVER
The number of visits a patient will need for a complete treatment plan varies greatly depending on the problem, age and health of the individual. At KET Chiropractic Center, we cater our treatment programs to the individual's goals. Once the treatment plan is completed the patient is given a choice to continue with a preventative maintenance program. Preventative maintenance is when chiropractic works the best to help maintain good health, much like going to the dentist to prevent cavities. Most athletes optimize their health for better performance by using chiropractic care. Dr. Karl specializes in optimizing athletic biomechanics using Active Release Technique® performance care.
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