Can Chiropractors Make Your Neck Worse?

Chiropractic care is a popular form of treatment for neck and back pain, with approximately 20 million Americans visiting chiropractors each year to receive chiropractic services. While many people experience relief from their symptoms after a chiropractic adjustment, there is a risk of injury or even worse outcomes. In some cases, people have reported feeling worse after a chiropractic adjustment. Injuries that can occur on a chiropractor's table include soft tissue damage, joint dislocations, and bone fractures in the neck and back. The most common problem is a disc injury in the neck or lower back, which can be extremely painful.

When an adjustment is made, the vertebrae move slightly and the muscles have to adapt to the movement of the bone, which can cause pain. Pain is related to bone movement and not to the pressure used by the chiropractor. It may also be due to the release of tension in the muscles, similar to when you exercise and feel sore when your muscles repair themselves. The most common reaction to an adjustment is pain in the muscles and back.

Muscles may be used to enduring poor posture or weakened by injury and are reacting to the disruption of these systems as the body returns to its proper shape. This change can cause joint and muscle pain. Some people experience mild side effects for a few days after the chiropractic adjustment, such as headaches, fatigue, or pain in the parts of the body that were treated. If you have prolonged or extreme pain or are still aching after many adjustments, talk to your chiropractor or orthopedic surgeon to explore other possible causes of the pain. After visiting the chiropractor, your body is in a state of superhealing, so give it plenty of time to repair and restore what it needs by getting enough sleep.

Also, be sure to consult a chiropractor who is widely respected and trusted in the community, such as those at AICA Orthopedics. Beliveau, who had seen a chiropractor because of persistent back pain due to a car accident, said he wouldn't have done the treatment either if he'd known. There should be a low threshold for chiropractors to consult doctors to ensure that the patient is allowed to be manipulated. He uses what, according to him, is a safer method of manipulating the neck, which involves turning the head towards the shoulder in a way that does not challenge the artery. Elizabeth Haran Caplan learned she was in trouble seconds after an Oklahoma City chiropractor manipulated her neck. Haran Caplan said he wishes he had been told beforehand that there is a risk, even if it is very slight, of manipulating the neck.

Walls-Kaufman says the possibility of a stroke caused by neck manipulation doesn't cross his mind when patients come to see him because it's so rare. If you're nervous about how you'll feel after the adjustment, you should talk to your chiropractor at the beginning of your consultation. If you have pain in your neck and shoulders, then it's important to keep your muscles strong and flexible. Most people go to a chiropractor with a dysfunctional spine, and in many cases, it has been that way for a long time. You may hear clicking or crunching sounds when the chiropractor moves your joints during the treatment session. In conclusion, while many people experience relief from their symptoms after visiting a chiropractor for neck or back pain, there is always a risk of injury or worse outcomes.

Eight percent of people reported feeling worse after their visit. If you experience prolonged or extreme pain or are still aching after many adjustments, talk to your chiropractor or orthopedic surgeon about other possible causes of your pain. Be sure to consult a reputable chiropractor who is widely respected and trusted in your community.