Chiropractic Practice In Controversy Again After Chiropractor Leaves Georgia Woman Paralyzed During Neck Adjustment

Chiropractic is a type of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system. It especially focuses on the spines.

People have been into chiropractic for a while, but is it safe? The debate over its safety has been raised after a Chiropractor left a woman in Georgia paralyzed during a neck adjustment.

Neck Adjustment Leaves A Georgia Woman Paralysed

Last week, a recent Georgia Southern graduate was left paralyzed after a routine visit to a chiropractor. The person left her with four torn arteries in her neck.

According to a report from WJCL, Caitlin Jensen showed up for a routine neck treatment at her chiropractor’s office in Savannah, Georgia, on June 16. The treatment has also left her with a traumatic brain injury. Now with mounting medical bills, she is asking the community for financial help. Her family has started a GoFundMe page. It states that Jensen went into cardiac arrest, had a stroke, and lost her pulse for almost 10 minutes after receiving the neck treatment.

The woman was immediately rushed to the hospital where doctors were able to revive her and repair some tears. Jensen is currently in the ICU. Her brother Caleb Johnson, told the news that his sister was responsive and able to respond to verbal commands. “She’s able to open her eyes every now and then and wake up a little bit. And kind of move her hands to squeeze a little. But that’s it“.

He added, “That morning we were up and talking to her before work. You’re talking to her and then 30 minutes later, she’s in the hospital and now in the ICU.”

Jensen recently graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in Chemistry and Biology.

Is Chiropractic Safe?

A chiropractor talked about Jensen’s condition and called it incredibly “rare.” He said, “Those dissections will often produce symptoms of headache and neck pain, which then drive people to a doctor’s office. Once they’ve gone to the medical doctor or chiropractor the likelihood is, unfortunately, a stroke will occur.”

He further added, “Sometimes it’s as simple as going to a hair salon and having your neck tilted back in that bowl for an extended period of time while they’re washing your hair. Or it just could be horseplay or who knows what.”

While there is no sufficient data to establish the safety of chiropractic methods, it is frequently associated with mild to moderate adverse effects. With serious or fatal complications in rare cases.

Several deaths have been reported because of vertebral artery dissection. It also leads to stroke in a number of cases.