How Dangerous Are Frequent Neck Manipulations?

[Deja Q]

http://www.chirobase.org/17QA/freq.html

Because of the risk of cervical manipulation damaging neck arteries to cause a stroke, it might be safer to rely upon massage and neck traction to relieve your headache. Since Imitrex and Midrin tend to raise blood pressure, I would not recommend the use of neck manipulation in combination with these drugs.

I certainly would not recommend regular, routine use of neck manipulation as a preventive measure. Forced rotation of the head past 50 degrees tends to place a strain on the vertebral arteries at the atlas-axis level and may damage weak blood vessels, which would be especially hazardous while taking drugs that affect vascular structures.

:scared:

I wish I knew that in 2003... I found much more on migraines, arterial damage, et al, than discs being rammed into the spine from having the chirocracker doing the same thing.

:scared:

A Chiropractor I had seen was overzealous one day and over-adjusted my neck. The result was a disc that rammed itself into my spine.

Even though symptoms didn't start to show for over a year, the damage was so significant the neurosurgeon spent over four HOURS in removing this one little disc.

I wish I'd never gone to the chiropractor; doing massage therapy instead.

When I stretch my neck, sometimes I can hear crack noises - I told my regular doctor this and he said, while one has to be careful, such stretching is okay and the cracking won't hurt.

And because of the fused discs, there are some exercises and movements I just cannot do.

I was lucky my situation wasn't any worse.

These days I stick with the masseur and do a lot of arm exercises, which helps with the pain a lot.

I sometimes still get migraines. The neck stretching helps, but I try not to do this often.

Yesterday I did a 5 mile walk; for about 20 hours I felt terrific. Sadly, I can't devote 2 hours each day to do that.

I don't care if they have 4 years or 4 minutes of training. In the end it's all hocus pocus. While the risks are small, if they screw up the risks become rather larger.

[SPKrazy]

1. I knew a guy that had a stroke after a chiropractic

manipulation to the cervical spine

He recovered okay, but he had it almost immediately after the manipulation.

Scared me away from chiropractors actually. at least from non- gentle manipulations.