Is chiropractic really complete garbage? I was under the impression it was a legit medical thing

It is a common misunderstanding that chiropractic is a legit medical thing.

Chiropractic is not only garbage but potentially dangerous. Rapid movement of the neck that chiropractors do to you can tear the vertebral artery.

From the the Quackwatch site:

Chiropractic's Dirty Secret: Neck Manipulation and Strokes

Stroke from chiropractic neck manipulation occurs when an artery to the brain ruptures or becomes blocked as a result of being stretched. The injury often results from extreme rotation in which the practitioner's hands are placed on the patient's head in order to rotate the cervical spine by rotating the head. The vertebral artery is vulnerable because it winds around the topmost cervical vertebra (atlas) to enter the skull, so that any abrupt rotation may stretch the artery and tear its delicate lining.

The rest of this article can be found here.



I have to admit that I have used the services of a chiropractor once in my life. The practitioner placed his hands on my head in order to rotate my head. And seconds after he did the manipulation with my neck I fainted. I actually didn't know what happened, but I wouldn't have fainted if he hadn’t manipulated my neck. I will never let them mess with my neck again.

In the Dangers of alternative medicine they warn against ever letting a chiro manipulate your neck or manipulate anything from the shoulders and up, there could be serious side effects (stroke).

CMAJ: Sudden neck movement and cervical artery dissection

Canadian Stroke Consortium: What about a Chiropractor?