Re: Chiropractic is completely safe!

Current research does show a possible , but not causative, link between vetebrobasilar arterial insufficiency (a form of stroke) and some forms of chiropractic cervical manipulation. I will look into the research over the next few weeks and post another message on what I find. The problem with alot of the research out there (and I've read plenty of it) is that often the researchers classify many things as a chiropractic adjustment without actually understanding what it is (one paper stated that an `adjustment' given by an osteopathic doctor was actually a chiropractic adjustment - they are totally different - and also blamed one stroke caused by a kung fu expert as being due to a chiropractic technique!). I am sorry to hear about your mother, CLOE1. What must be said is that strokes due to chiropractic are very rare. Instances of stroke due to cervical manipulation can vary, depending on what research you read, from between 1 to 500,000 to 1 to 3 million cervical manipulations (the chances of a fatal response to aspirin can be as low as 1 in 3000!). The problem is that screening methods are pretty inaccurate (you might want to read up on George's Protocol), and even MDs very often miss the same signs and symptoms that we chiropractors might miss. The problem with a small percentage of the population is that they are predisposed to stroke due to weakness is arterial walls, and something as simple as looking over their shoulder could cause a stroke (there is also a high incidence of stroke in elderly people who have their hair washed at hairdressers - the person's neck is held in extension for several minutes, compressing the vetebral arteries besides others, leading to stroke).