Common concerns about visiting a chiropractor

Chiropractors are truly hands-on health care professionals. They believe that many of the body's aches, pains and other ills can be traced to nerve problems created by misaligned vertebrae in the spine. Once-skeptical physicians now refer patients with lower-back pain and other conditions to chiropractors. However, some say the risks of treatment are understated. Here are some common concerns:

Chiropractors use neck adjustments to treat neck pain, some types of headaches and other conditions, claiming that they restore mobility and prevent muscle spasms. The American Chiropractic Association calls neck manipulation "remarkably safe," citing statistics showing that only about one in six million patients who have the procedure suffer strokes. However some doctors say many strokes and injuries caused by neck adjustments probably go unreported. They worry neck adjustments may damage arteries in the neck. They claim that rotating the neck with force stretches arteries which could cause one to tear and result in a stroke. But even critics acknowledge that it happens infrequently, making it difficult to study.

Up to half of patients report soreness and other symptoms after a session, though the discomfort is usually brief. In a survey published in the journal Spine, researchers interviewed 280 patients with neck pain after their first trips to a chiropractor. About 30 percent complained of pain, stiffness, headaches and other side effects after the session, though the problems usually cleared up within a day or two. Chiropractors say that an adjustment loosens stiff joints that are "locked" in place, allowing them to move freely. As part of this process, muscles and ligaments may feel sore as they realign. However, they say, the aches are no worse than what you might feel after a hard workout, and they disappear just as quickly.

Studies are still being done but more and more doctors are referring their patients to chiropractors. These are just a couple of questions to keep in mind when you go for your next visit.