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Just a few years ago, Caitlin Jensen, then 28, held optimistic aspirations for her future.
The University of Georgia graduate, with a degree in chemistry and biology, was enthusiastically applying for positions, planning to move into her own apartment, and making arrangements with her boyfriend of many years.
However, a last-minute decision to seek chiropractic care for minor lower back discomfort dramatically altered her life, effectively extinguishing her prospects for a normal existence.
During the appointment, a chiropractor performed a spinal adjustment – a rapid twisting and pulling motion of the head intended to ‘realign the spine.’ This manipulation resulted in the tearing of four arteries in her neck. She collapsed shortly thereafter, losing the ability to speak or move.
Chiropractors are alternative healthcare practitioners who utilize manual adjustments to address issues related to the bones, muscles, and joints.
While chiropractic sessions can be advantageous for some, Caitlin’s experience took a disastrous turn.
Subsequent medical evaluations revealed that the injury induced a series of strokes and cardiac arrests.
Currently, Jensen has regained some mobility in her head, arms, and legs, but remains unable to speak, suffers from partial vision loss, and requires a wheelchair.
Caitlin Jensen experienced cardiac arrest and stroke, losing her pulse for over ten minutes before resuscitation. She subsequently learned she was largely paralyzed due to a traumatic brain injury.
While Caitlin’s case is exceptional and severe, experts argue it highlights the potential risks associated with chiropractic treatments. Though such incidents are infrequent, they are not unprecedented. Despite these risks, the popularity of chiropractic care has grown in recent times.
This surge in interest is partly fueled by a social media trend featuring videos of chiropractors performing spinal manipulations that produce loud cracking sounds. The more forceful the crack, the more online attention it garners.
Furthermore, chiropractors in the UK are advocating for the integration of their largely private services into the National Health Service (NHS).
A report commissioned by the British Chiropractic Association suggests that incorporating chiropractors into the NHS could yield savings of £1.5 billion and reduce waiting times for physiotherapy.
However, concerns regarding the safety of this proposal have been voiced. Dr. Ellie Cannon, a GP columnist, recently expressed apprehension about the forceful physical manipulation inherent in chiropractic, noting its potential to cause serious harm.
Dr. Cannon requested readers to share their experiences, leading to a substantial influx of responses.
Numerous individuals reported finding relief from joint pain and other ailments through chiropractic intervention when other treatments proved ineffective. Nevertheless, disturbing accounts of severe injuries were also prevalent.
Caitlin, 28, was excitedly pursuing job opportunities and planning her future before a chiropractic visit for back pain led to life-altering complications.
Caitlin now has some movement but remains significantly disabled after her chiropractic treatment.
A 66-year-old woman recounted that a chiropractic session for shoulder pain resulted in extensive bruising, tinnitus, and severe jaw pain. Medical professionals subsequently diagnosed her with trigeminal neuralgia, a chronic pain condition triggered by nerve irritation in the neck, causing sharp facial pain.
She attributes this condition, which still limits her ability to speak clearly to her grandchildren three years later, to a neck adjustment received during her chiropractic appointment.
Another woman, aged 55, developed persistent neck and shoulder pain following chiropractic treatment for back pain. The discomfort was so intense that she endured 72 hours of immobility and sleeplessness, despite using strong painkillers.
A 66-year-old man reported experiencing back spasms immediately after his initial chiropractic visit, leading to hospitalization and weeks of immobility. He later learned that the aggressive treatment had displaced a spinal disc, causing permanent loss of sensation in his right leg.
These accounts, coupled with Caitlin’s devastating experience, have prompted experts to voice serious concerns about the field of chiropractic, labeling it as potentially risky and alarming.
This raises the critical question: Should the NHS incorporate chiropractic services, and is seeking chiropractic care a safe choice?
Chiropractic’s acceptance as a valid medical practice is relatively recent. Until 1983, the American Medical Association deemed it ‘an unscientific cult.’ Even its founder, Daniel David Palmer, a self-proclaimed ‘magnetic healer,’ described it as a religion. He stated in his memoir that the principles of spinal manipulation were communicated to him during a seance by a deceased physician.
Palmer also controversially asserted that 95 percent of all diseases originate from vertebral misalignments, with the remaining stemming from joint dislocations.
On platforms like TikTok, a growing trend involves practitioners showcasing extreme spinal manipulations on patients, often exhibiting signs of discomfort, in videos promoted as treatments for conditions ranging from erectile dysfunction to ear infections.
Some techniques utilize neck straps that appear alarming, while others involve instruments resembling hammers and chisels – a forceful spinal adjustment approach known as the activator method.
Disturbingly, these manipulations are not limited to adults. One video, viewed over 12 million times, features an American chiropractor, Dr. Ace, claiming to treat seizures in a two-year-old with meningitis by forcefully manipulating the child’s neck as he cries in pain.
In another video, Dr. Ace performs similar manipulations on a young boy with hydrocephalus – a condition involving fluid buildup in the brain – captioning the video ‘reshape skull, crack neck’ accompanied by a skull emoji.
Chiropractors on TikTok are gaining millions of views with videos of spinal manipulations.
In the UK, several film and television productions, including Love Island, have publicized having on-set chiropractors. The number of chiropractors in Britain has increased by over 60 percent in the last four years, according to the General Chiropractic Council, the regulatory body.
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Simon Fleming expresses concern that vulnerable individuals may seek chiropractic services without sufficient awareness of the potential dangers.
He states, ‘It’s not that all chiropractors are unsafe, but the risk of causing harm is significant. Adults are entitled to make their own decisions – but if they choose this path, they must do so with full understanding of the risks.’
The NHS currently lists neck, back, shoulder, and elbow pain as conditions that may be addressed by chiropractic, while noting limited evidence for its effectiveness in treating more serious ailments or issues not related to muscles or joints. The NHS explicitly warns: ‘Spinal manipulation carries a risk of serious complications, such as stroke.’
Chiropractic services are not widely available on the NHS, except in rare cases where other options like physiotherapy are unsuitable. However, a recent University of York report advocated for integrating chiropractic into the NHS to alleviate physiotherapy waiting lists for musculoskeletal conditions.
Mark Gurden, president of the Royal College of Chiropractors, argues that this integration would assist the NHS by providing a skilled workforce during staffing shortages.
‘Chiropractic is a regulated healthcare profession, similar to physiotherapy, offering various interventions, including soft tissue techniques and spinal manipulation,’ he explains.
‘Chiropractors are regulated healthcare experts who undergo four years of training and must be registered with the General Chiropractic Council. When performed by competent professionals, it is an entirely safe procedure.’
Edzard Ernst, emeritus professor of complementary medicine at the University of Exeter and author of *Chiropractic: Not All That It’s Cracked Up To Be*, states that hundreds of patients have suffered strokes after neck manipulation, some fatally.
Recent examples include the tragic case of Joanna Kowalczyk, 29, who suffered fatal blood vessel tears after neck adjustments, and Playboy model Katie May, 34, who died following chiropractic treatment for a pinched neck nerve from a photoshoot.
Professor Ernst believes that many more patients may have sustained unreported injuries.
Joanna Kowalczyk, 29, died from arterial dissection after chiropractic neck manipulation.
‘Chiropractors manipulate the spine of almost every patient, often pushing it beyond its normal range of motion, potentially causing severe structural damage,’ he explains.
‘There is no mandatory reporting system for chiropractic side effects – and without active surveillance, these complications remain obscured.’
Arterial dissection, a tear in arteries supplying blood to the brain, was linked to the deaths of Katie May and Joanna Kowalczyk. While some cases heal spontaneously, others can lead to clot formation, stroke, or death.
The frequency of this complication post-chiropractic treatment is unclear. However, a Boston-based study estimated that arterial dissection occurs in approximately one out of every 1,000 neck manipulations.
An American Heart Association Stroke Council review indicated that the risk of arterial dissection and stroke is up to 12 times higher in individuals who have recently undergone neck manipulation.
Systematic reviews of controlled trials assessing chiropractic treatments have found limited evidence of effectiveness, mainly for back pain. A 2011 review concluded that analyzed data ‘fail[ed] to demonstrate convincingly that spinal manipulation is an effective intervention for any condition’.
‘Given the limited evidence of benefit, the risks associated with chiropractic are difficult to justify,’ states Dr. Fleming. ‘Better alternatives exist for managing many conditions addressed by chiropractic manipulation. While complementary therapies have a place, they should not be a primary option, especially for NHS funding.’
‘Serious problems can arise because chiropractors are not medical doctors. They may perform manipulations when inappropriate or unsafe,’ he adds.
Dr. Fleming advises that spinal manipulation should be avoided for babies, children, post-menopausal women at risk of osteoporosis, and individuals with connective tissue disorders, brittle arteries due to age, or vascular issues.
Chiropractors lack access to patient medical records and official age restrictions, making it the patient’s responsibility to assess the suitability of treatment. But why do many people vouch for chiropractic despite limited evidence of efficacy?
Professor Ernst suggests the ‘cracking’ of bones may induce a significant placebo effect, a potent factor in perceived improvement. The hands-on nature of chiropractic might also enhance patient satisfaction.
‘Human touch is valued, particularly when unwell,’ notes Dr. Fleming. ‘The promise of audible “clicks” can be reassuring, creating a tangible sense of intervention – but, fundamentally, it’s similar to cracking knuckles.’
‘Ensure your chiropractor is registered with the General Chiropractic Council – and think twice before allowing neck manipulation.’
Reader Testimonials: Chiropractic Benefits and Harms
Positive Experiences with Chiropractic Care
Many readers shared positive experiences highlighting the relief they received from chiropractic treatment.
- Gill Neate, 69, Surrey: “I regularly visit chiropractors since age 12 for headaches and neck/shoulder tension, experiencing instant relief unavailable with physiotherapy.”
- Marion Bailey, 85, Somerset: “In the 1980s, a chiropractor resolved my persistent headaches after a shoulder injury with a single neck manipulation, providing lasting relief.”
- Kate White, 84, via email: “Chiropractic care enables me to live an active life, participating in ballet, choir, committees, and gardening, free from constant discomfort.”
- Maureen Woodhouse, 71, Lancashire: “A chiropractor resolved my chronic back pain in under a month, after my GP suggested I simply live with it.”
- Cathy Jones, 57, via email: “Chiropractic cured my excruciating sciatica in just two sessions, after I suffered for eight months with a slipped disc.”
- Paul Kelliher, 77, via email: “Chiropractic treatment resolved my back injury from a childhood fall, providing lasting pain relief after several sessions.”
Negative Experiences and Harm from Chiropractic Treatment
Conversely, numerous readers detailed negative outcomes, including injuries, following chiropractic care.
Personal accounts describe various adverse effects, from nerve damage to worsened conditions.
- Joyce Hecks, 82, Hertfordshire: “Over-zealous chiropractic manipulation for neck/shoulder issues led to severe back pain and nerve pain misdiagnosed as toothache, caused by the forceful treatment.”
- Barry Klarnett, 76, Essex: “Chiropractic manipulation at £40 per session failed to address leg pain, which was ultimately resolved by a hip replacement recommended by my GP, resulting in wasted time and delayed treatment.”
- Judith Waring, 63, West Yorkshire: “Aggressive neck manipulation at a chiropractic session worsened neck pain and discouraged me from seeking chiropractic care again.”
- Jen White, 60, via email: “Forced chiropractic manipulation exacerbated back pain, leading to hospitalization, a trapped spinal nerve, permanent bowel/bladder damage, and ongoing health complications, raising concerns about the treatment’s role in causing severe injury.”