Can chiropractors do more harm than good?

There is now a lot of evidence showing that more than half of all patients experience mild to moderate adverse effects after seeing a chiropractor. These are mostly local and referred pains that usually last two to three days. Chiropractors often claim that these are necessary steps on the path to improvement. On a good day, we might even believe them.

Chiropractic had just worked on Lynne Beliveau's neck when she became dizzy, unable to see or move. As you undergo chiropractic care with a Dallas chiropractor, your body learns to recover and your spine realigns to provide you with correct posture and better overall health. Beliveau, who had gone to the chiropractor due to persistent back pain from a car accident, said he wouldn't have done the treatment either if he had known. If you're new to chiropractic treatment and aren't sure what to expect, then the thought of feeling more pain after a visit to the chiropractor may leave you doubtful.

Many patients experience pain after seeing their chiropractor, which is not an indication of a major problem. Alan Lichter, another Washington chiropractor, says he also uses “gentler neck manipulation. In 1996, Assendelft and colleagues5 published a rigorous evaluation of treatments performed by chiropractors. It forces us to use, whenever possible, only those therapies that demonstrably generate more benefit than harm.

Approximately 20 million Americans visit chiropractors each year, according to the American Chiropractic Association, seeking relief from back pain, neck pain, headaches, sinus problems, ringing in the ears, and more. Chiropractors rely heavily on manipulation of their patients' spine and the benefits are not entirely clear. Your chiropractor in Dallas, Georgia, will explain exactly what to expect throughout the process, so that you feel comfortable throughout the process. But one of the techniques chiropractors use, called cervical neck manipulation or “neck cracking,” has raised concerns that it could cause serious harm.

The latest to hit the headlines was that of a 32-year-old woman from Jakarta who died after being treated by an American chiropractor.