Can Chiropractic Adjustments Cause a Stroke?

I’m sure you saw the article about the Playboy model who passed away after a stroke allegedly caused by a Chiropractic adjustment received 3 days before she died. The coroner ruled this week that it was a dissected artery caused by the Chiropractic adjustment.
After this story released, I had to send you a response to that stroke claim with research so you have evidence in your head, heart, and hands in case a friend were to ask you about it, or even if you\’re simply curious.
First off, the coroner may likely have been correct about the dissected artery. But based on the literature, it was NOT caused by the adjustment. The research makes it clear that an adjustment is NOT able to dissect the vertebral artery any more than turning the head could dissect it.

• Here’s a link to the meta-analysis study from this year (2016):

Notice the main line in the study:

“There is no convincing evidence to support a causal link between chiropractic adjustment and cervical artery dissection(CAD).\”

And there was other research published in the reputable Spine Journal in 2008 that also proved no causal link.
But here’s the deal….the neck pain or headaches from a dissected cervical artery cause the patient to schedule a chiropractic adjustment for pain relief.
So the dissected vertebral artery is already present before the adjustment takes place. And that’s why so many draw fast conclusions that an adjustment caused it.

• – Here is the link to a study showing the risk of vertebrobasilar stroke and chiropractic care: results of a population-based case-control and case-crossover study.

Additionally, here are 2 other links to studies that found no causal relationship with a chiropractic adjustment and stroke:

• – Chiropractic care and the risk of vertebrobasilar stroke: results of a case
• – This study actually showed that those who were under the care of a Chiropractor had less strokes than those under a primary care physician.

chiropractor bee cave

It’s important for our patients to understand this and know that there is plenty of research that reveals the safety and long-term benefits of Chiropractic adjustments.

It pains me to think that someone might see the headlines of a situation like this model and never get to experience the benefits of Chiropractic because of fear. I hope this information will reassure you and your family and friends that Chiropractic is safe, effective, and one of the most important aspects of creating and keeping a healthy body, mind, and soul! Please help me share this information so we can continue to educate the masses on the benefits of Chiropractic care!