What Are the Dangers of Chiropractics?

People who suffer from ailments such as back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain or headaches often search out chiropractic alternatives when conventional medicine doesn't alleviate their discomfort. Chiropractors utilize a variety of treatments, including adjustments of the spine and adjustments of other body parts to correct alignment problems and support the body's natural healing ability. Some people believe that chiropractic medicine causes more problems than it solves.

Dietary Supplements

• If a patient uses pharmaceutical medications, side effects can result if the patient begins to use chiropractic-recommended dietary supplements. Patients should inform both their medical doctor and their chiropractor about any medicines or supplements that the other has prescribed to prevent negative interactions between the two.

Strokes

• Some critics believe that chiropractic manipulation can cause ischemic strokes. They believe that the chiropractor damages the patient's vertebral artery when she twists the patient's neck beyond its normal limits. According to the National Institutes of Health, however, this risk is very low.

Limits

• Medical observers note that while chiropractic medicine may successfully treat back pain, chiropractors do not limit themselves to treating back pain, but use chiropractic treatments and adjustments to treat a wide variety of ailments and conditions. They point out that no empirical research exists to demonstrate the effectiveness of chiropractic treatments for other illnesses. They feel that using chiropractic treatments in these cases does not meet ethical standards of medicine and chiropractors may mislead their clients.

Continued Treatments

• Some chiropractors suggest that spinal adjustments, if administered as a preventative treatment at periodic intervals, can safeguard an individual's heath. This has given rise to the criticism that starting a regime of chiropractic treatments will obligate an individual to continue seeking chiropractic treatments endlessly in order to maintain his health.