We received the following question on-line today. “I’d like to bring our twelve-year-old son in for chiropractic care. But I’m worried about if it’s actually safe. Are chiropractic adjustments dangerous for kids his age?” Many people bring their babies and children to us. Yet, others remain confused about the importance of chiropractic for their children. There’s also a lot of misinformation out in the world too, so I’m pleased to have this question come up. First, let’s talk about safety.
One of the world’s most respected medical authorities is the Mayo Clinic. Here’s what Mayo says about the safety of chiropractic care. “Chiropractic adjustment is safe when it’s performed by someone trained and licensed to deliver chiropractic care.”[1] Of course no one would want to fly in an airplane piloted by someone untrained or unlicensed. Nor for that matter, would we want to receive medical care from someone without training. Although chiropractic is not a part of the medical profession, the same concerns hold true. Doctors of chiropractic receive thousands of hours of study in anatomy, physiology, x-ray and the other sciences preparing them for safe and effective practice. Even so, anything that can help, if done in the wrong way, or at the wrong time has the potential to harm. That’s why we seek professional health care providers, who know how to evaluate, know what to do, and when to do it.
Cost of malpractice premiums in dollars
Chiropractic has an enviable record on safety, and amongst health care providers, it’s one of the best. A look at what health care providers pay for malpractice insurance reveals much about the relative safety of their practices.[2] While chiropractors can purchase professional liability insurance for a few hundred dollars a year, medical doctors often pay more for their malpractice insurance than the average person earns in a year!
Medical errors resulting in serious injury and death continue to make headlines.[3] USA Today reports that “The United States has the highest maternal death rate among the world’s developed nations,”[4] and that while most other countries are getting better, ours is getting worse. Last week the New York Times, reported on high death rates in children whose surgeries were considered low-risk at a Charlotte, North Carolina hospital. In response the North Carolina Children’s Hospital announced the suspension of some of those surgeries.[5] The dangers of medical practice are very real. That doesn’t prove that chiropractic is safe, but it does provide a useful contrast. Nor do we want to live in a world without a medical profession.
Like any health care provider, a chiropractor might make a mistake. Thankfully they are rare, and injuries very unlikely. A much greater concern is the damage done to a person not receiving necessary adjustments. Here’s the thing, children do get spinal subluxations, and they don’t necessarily hurt at first. A vertebra out of proper alignment is unable to properly protect the spinal cord and nerves. Those out of position spinal bones can insult the delicate communication network of the body. It causes malfunction whenever that happens, but it may not bring on any symptoms for prolonged periods of time.
The real issue then is the danger of neglect. On the one hand we have the certainty of damage when nerve interference goes uncorrected, while on the other hand, the remote possibility of a mistake on the part of the chiropractor. As you can see, choosing your chiropractor, or for that matter, any health care professional is an important decision, to be made with care. For more insight on choosing a chiropractor, please click this link: https://www.youneedchiro.com/blog/how-to-find-a-good-chiropractor/
[1] Mayo Clinic, Patient Care and Health Information, https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/chiropractic-adjustment/about/pac-20393513
[2] https://www.capson.com/medical-malpractice-insurance-by-specialty/
[3] https://www.youneedchiro.com/blog/scientists-find-medical-error-to-be-the-third-leading-cause-of-death-in-the-us/
[4] https://www.usatoday.com/deadly-deliveries/interactive/how-hospitals-are-failing-new-moms-in-graphics/
[5] https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article231538968.html