By this time, I am sure you have all seen the articles circulating about a 28-year old man from Oklahoma who suffered a stroke from cracking his own neck. The doctor who treated him is quoted in the article stating the following:
"We have partners coming to hospital with more serious stuff, due to chiropractic manipulation, by popping neck by a professional," he said, before suggesting: "If I want to pop my neck, I just pop it side to side. I don't twist it."
While we work to mitigate crisis communications at the national level -- from direct communication with CNN and other outlets syndicating this content to monitoring social media -- we want you to be prepared with the safety of chiropractic research to confidently answer questions that may come from your members. Please review the Foundation’s crisis communications kit here to familiarize yourself with proper protocol during a crisis.
In addition, please download and review the resources below that showcase the research supporting chiropractic:
Talking Points for Reference
- Arterial dissection of the cervical (neck) arteries is a very rare condition occurring in 2-3 persons per 100,000 population per year. As this condition often produces neck pain and headaches, many times individuals will consult with their health care providers for advice or treatment in response to the discomfort.
- Whether a person consults a medical doctor or doctor of chiropractic, stroke can follow at an equal rate regardless of the type of provider. Epidemiologic studies over many years with millions of patients do not reveal any greater association of stroke for persons under chiropractic care compared with persons under medical care.
- In February 2016, a team of neurosurgeons at the University of Pennsylvania Hershey Medical Center published research concluding, “There is no convincing evidence to support a causal link between chiropractic manipulation and cervical artery dissection (CAD).”
- Chiropractic manipulation has shown to be safe, effective treatment for neck, mid back and lower back pain. A comprehensive review of scientific evidence noted that there is as much evidence supporting chiropractic care as for other treatments such as prescription and non-prescription drugs and surgery.
Please also reach out to us at the Foundation and/or the subject matter experts included in the crisis communications kit. We are here to support you. Please let us know if we can be of assistance.