Chiropractic is a practice that we have seen everywhere recently. Although the thump sound of the floor while watching it is a bit disturbing, the person who has it applied cannot stop talking about how relieved he is. This treatment is not only for humans but can also be applied to animals. Maybe their words are not enough to express how relieved they are, but don’t you think that relief can be seen on their faces?
There are also very famous people among those who have undergone this treatment, which everyone is curious about and wants to have these days. Naturally, there are some hesitations about this practice that has become so widespread. Recently, a 28-year-old young woman suffered a stroke after chiropractic treatment. This caused the discussions to increase accordingly. In fact, we have examined for you whether chiropractic practice, which the majority of people approach with skepticism, really carries risks.
Let’s first talk about what chiropractic treatment is.
Greek “cheri”, hand; “prktikos” means practice. These two words came together to create the concept of chiropractic. This practice, which dates back to Greek physicians, was originally discovered by Daniel David (DD) Palmer in the 19th century. The goal of this application is to treat problems in the musculoskeletal and nervous systems without medication or surgery.
In chiropractic practice, the place where the treatment will be performed is first determined and the chiropractor applies this treatment using his hands. Through this treatment, the spine, muscles and bones can be intervened.
Chiropractic treatment is a form of alternative treatment applied manually.
When applying this treatment, the main thing is manual intervention, but in some cases, table-based treatments can also be used. Chiropractic can be applied alone or in combination with physical therapy or exercise.
In what cases is chiropractic treatment applied?
A problem must exist for chiropractic treatment to be applied. Some of these problems are:
- Acute and chronic neck and lower back pain
- sprains
- scoliosis
- Acute and chronic soft tissue strains
- Chronic cervical headache
- Occupational and sports-related musculoskeletal injuries
But even if these problems exist, there are some situations where implementation is not possible. Some situations where it will not apply are:
- acute fracture
- Spinal Cord tumor
- rheumatoid arthritis
- blood diseases
- vertebral tumor
Now let’s come to the question that everyone is wondering: Is chiropractic treatment based on a scientific basis?
Whether these practices are based on science or not is something everyone wonders about. Although chiropractic is seen by some as a practice that cannot go beyond fractures and dislocations, it is actually an alternative form of treatment.
In fact, chiropractic is legally recognized in many countries. The World Health Organization also accepts chiropractic as a scientific treatment.
There are examples where this treatment caused a “stroke”.
Although chiropractors claim that research has proven the effectiveness of this form of treatment, a recent incident has caused doubt about the treatment. However, despite this news, practitioners argue that there are no side effects associated with chiropractic.
The person mentioned in the video is Caitlin Jensen. Caitlin suffers a vertebral artery dissection that led to a stroke following treatment by a chiropractor on June 16, 2022. Since that day, Caitlin has been hospitalized for a long time and still lives in a wheelchair.
Speaking after this incident, her mother says that many people who experienced this situation contacted her. He explains that doctors also encounter these incidents frequently.
Are there complications of chiropractic practice?
It is said that chiropractic practice also has some complications, as every medicine or treatment has a complication. After the application, discomfort may occur in the treated area. However, this side effect is expected to end within 24 hours at the latest.
There are also cases where more serious side effects occur. Cauda equina syndrome may rarely occur as a result of this procedure. However, it is noted that this complication is rarely reported.
It is claimed that these complications are due to lack of knowledge, skill and technique. In other words, it is said that there is no problem with the application itself, but only problems that may arise due to those who implement it.
It is stated that just as there are good and bad doctors, there can also be suitable and bad chiropractors, and that serious damage can occur as a result of the wrong practices of those who are not sufficiently knowledgeable.
Let’s take a look at the information about the application…
Many studies have been done regarding chiropractic practices. The conclusion of these studies is that chiropractic is effective for many types of pain. Research has shown that pain such as waist and neck pain is relieved after chiropractic applications.
The biggest burden regarding the results of chiropractic applications is the lack of a system to track the results of the events. Therefore, it is not known what happened to how many people.
In a study conducted in 1980, it was stated that five million treatments were performed in National Chiropractic College clinics in 15 years and no cases of vertebral artery syndrome occurred in them. Considering these rates, it is said that major complications are very rare.
According to information in a study, 11% of arterial dissections are caused by chiropractic practices. Another study claims that the risk of stroke in chiropractic practice is at the same level as when going to the doctor. Another study revealed that there were only 23 cases of arterial rupture as a result of more than 134 million chiropractic treatments.
Chiropractic is legally recognized in many countries today, but is everyone who practices it an expert?
The final point reached is that chiropractic practices, like every treatment, have risks. But it is argued that these risks are not greater than medical or drug treatments.
Chiropractic practices; It is legally defined and implemented in countries such as Canada, USA, UK, UAE, South Africa, Iran, Jordan and Republic of Congo. According to information from America, almost 15% of adults in the USA seek chiropractic treatment every year.
- If you cannot view the video, you can click here.
In Turkey, only physicians can perform chiropractic practice. However, being a doctor is not enough; doctors also need to get a certificate in this regard.
- If you cannot view the video, you can click here.
We do not know whether chiropractic may relieve pain, but the competence of the practitioners is important here, as in all cases. Any practice carried out by non-experts in “under-the-radar” clinics can end badly.
If you are thinking of applying to such a specialist, you definitely need to check his competence. Also, it is not right to have this procedure done without getting a doctor’s opinion.
Sources: Turkey Clinics, Guide Booklet, Recognized Health, Chiropractic, Medicana, Fizyorem, Medical, Independent, NY Times, Time, Chiropractic, Bianet
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