Can chiropractic manipulation cause vertebral artery dissection?
Vertebral artery aneurysms and dissections are known complications of spinal manipulation procedures (1, 2). An estimated 1 in 20,000 spinal manipulations results in a vertebral artery aneurysm/dissection and ischemic infarct, but the exact incidence of this complication is unknown (3).
Does cervical manipulative therapy cause vertebral artery dissection and stroke?
Although current biomechanical evidence is insufficient to establish the claim that CMT causes CD, clinical reports suggest that mechanical forces play a role in a considerable number of CDs and most population controlled studies have found an association between CMT and VAD stroke in young patients.
How serious is a vertebral artery dissection?
For those patients that survive the initial dissection, the prognosis is usually good. Approximately 10% of patients die initially. In one clinical follow-up study, 80% achieved a full recovery. Death is typically secondary to extensive intracranial dissection, brainstem infarction, or subarachnoid hemorrhage.
How is a cervical artery dissection treated?
First-line treatment for cervical artery dissection usually is antiplatelet agents (such as aspirin) or anti-coagulation to prevent the formation of blood clots. Antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin or clopidogrel may used alone or in combination.
Is chiropractic neck manipulation safe?
Chiropractic adjustment is safe when it’s performed by someone trained and licensed to deliver chiropractic care. Serious complications associated with chiropractic adjustment are overall rare, but may include: A herniated disk or a worsening of an existing disk herniation.
Can cervical traction cause vertebral artery dissection?
A retrospective study of stroke cases at two major academic medical centers, led by University of California, San Francisco neurologists, indicates that chiropractic manipulation of the neck can cause vertebral artery dissection, a tearing of the vertebral artery leading to the brain that causes stroke or transient …
What happens after vertebral artery dissection?
After the tear, blood enters the arterial wall and forms a blood clot, thickening the artery wall and often impeding blood flow. The symptoms of vertebral artery dissection include head and neck pain and intermittent or permanent stroke symptoms such as difficulty speaking, impaired coordination and visual loss.
How long does it take for vertebral artery dissection to heal?
Yamaura et al. proposed that a ruptured dissecting aneurysm enters into a healing stage approximately 1 month after the initial SAH. In Mizutani’s series21), only 10% of rebleeding occurred more than one month after the initial hemorrhage.
Can cervical manipulation cause stroke?
The high velocity thrust used in cervical manipulation can produce significant strain on carotid and vertebral vessels. Once a dissection has occurred, the risk of thrombus formation, ischemic stroke, paralysis, and even death is drastically increased.