Battle brews over safety of neck manipulation

Published: 2010-01-10 10:06:44
Author: Brian Burnell | NECN | January 5, 2010

There is a battle over health underway in Connecticut. Some victims say neck manipulation by a chiropractor caused their stroke. They want patients warned about the risk, but many chiropractors say the procedure is safe.

Neck manipulation is a common procedure practiced by chiropractors. They say it relieves symptoms and increases mobility. Some patients, though, say it's dangerous.

Christa Heck, Stroke Victim: I was 39 years old when minutes after having an upper neck adjustment I started having severe vertigo and nausea and later on would find out that I was in the middle of having a stroke.

Christa Heck is one of several people who say they've suffered so-called "chiropractic strokes" after neck adjustments. Brit Harwe is another. We first met her more than a year ago, 14 years after her visit to the chiropractor to treat a sore shoulder. After a neck adjustment she suffered a stroke. She had to learn to walk and talk again and only recently has been able to eat solid food again.

Brit Harwe, Stroke Victim: I didn't have a chance. Had I been given information or had the hospital get information maybe I would have been given a chance to have blood thinners so I wouldn't have these disabilities that I'm dealing with.

They want Connecticut to pass the first law in the nation requiring informed consent... mandating chiropractors to warn patients of the risk before the procedure and give them a list of potential symptoms afterward.

Jann Bellamy, Science-based Health Care: Dizziness, visual problems, feeling nauseated. You should go to the emergency room immediately. You may be having a dissection of your vertibrael artery that can precede a stroke.

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