You’re in good hands.
This month I’d like to discuss the risks of injury with chiropractic care. In clinical practice we still encounter patients who are apprehensive about receiving care, specifically in relation to spinal manipulation. This is particularly the case if the patient is older and suffer from common complaints like Osteoporosis or an Arthritic condition. Even though there are many different techniques in our profession to treat these cases, spinal manipulation is still the backbone of what differentiates our profession from others. Recently I discovered an article from the Journal of Spine, arguably the worlds most respected journal for spinal research which anaylsed the risk of injury to the head, neck or trunk during treatment of a neuromusculoskeletal condition from a Chiropractor versus a Medical Doctor. This information was obtained from patients over the age of 65, an age bracket where there is a perceived increased risk of injury due to advanced age.
This study discovered that the probability of injury in the chiropractic group was 40 injuries per 100,000 patient visits, as compared to 153 injuries per 100,000 patient visits in the Medical group. This study further concluded that for patients aged 65 and older the risk of injury to the head, neck or trunk for a neuromusculoskeletal condition was 76% lower among patients who presented to a Chiropractor as compared to those who saw a Medical Doctor.
Whedon J.M. et al. Risk of Traumatic Injury Associated with Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation in Medicare Part B Beneficiaries Aged 66-99. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2014 Dec 9. [Epub ahead of print]
