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Risks
By Mayo Clinic staffChiropractic adjustment is safe when it's performed by someone trained and licensed to deliver chiropractic care. However, some people experience side effects for a few days after chiropractic adjustment. These may include:
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Continuing pain from an injury treated in the past
Chiropractic adjustment poses few serious risks. Possible complications include:
- A herniated disk
- Compression of nerves in the lower spinal column, a condition known as cauda equina syndrome, leading to pain, weakness, loss of feeling in your legs, and loss of bowel or bladder control
- A certain type of stroke (vertebral artery dissection) after neck (cervical) manipulation
Chiropractic care isn't recommended for everyone.
- Don't seek chiropractic adjustment if you have osteoporosis or signs or symptoms of nerve damage, such as numbness, tingling, or loss of strength in an arm or leg.
- If you've had spinal surgery, check with your surgeon before consulting a chiropractor.
- If you have back pain accompanied by fever, chills, sweats or weight loss, see a medical doctor to make sure you don't have an infection or tumor.
- Shekelle P. Spinal manipulation in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 18, 2010.
- Chiropractic: An introduction. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/chiropractic/. Accessed Jan. 18, 2010.
- Spinal manipulation for low-back pain. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/pain/spinemanipulation.htm. Accessed Jan. 18, 2010.
- Kohatsu W. Low back pain. In: Rakel D. Integrative Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/178827353-4/0/1494/110.html?tocnode=54114756&fromURL=110.html. Accessed Jan. 18, 2010.
- Frequently asked questions. American Chiropractic Association. http://www.acatoday.org/level2_css.cfm?T1ID=13&T2ID=70. Accessed Jan. 18, 2010.
- Globe GA, et al. Chiropractic management of low back disorders: Report from a consensus process. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2008;31:651.
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