What are the risks of chiropractic adjustments?
Although chiropractic adjustments are safe when done by a well-trained, experienced, and professional chiropractor, they can lead to various mild and severe risks, such as:
- Spinal cord injury or compression
- Myelopathy [2]
- Arterial dissection (leading to stroke)
- Cauda equina syndrome
- Disc herniation
- Hematoma
- Fracture [3]
- Hemorrhagic cyst
- Soft tissue injury
- Nerve injury [4]
It would help to know that not everybody needs to undergo chiropractic adjustments. The technique is also not safe for everyone. The World Health Organization advises people who have certain conditions to not undergo any type of chiropractic adjustment. Some of these conditions include:
- Bone disorders, such as spinal abnormalities
- Cauda equina syndrome [5]
- Tumors, infections, or Spinal fractures
- Specific forms of aggressive cancers [6]
- Herniated disc accompanied by myelopathy
- Dislocated vertebrae
You can visit your healthcare provider to know if chiropractic adjustments are safe for you. You can also visit to know about any other option that can help you align your spine.