May 2007

Spinal manipulation in children studied

A team of researchers is requesting the need for a collaborative registry to assess the risk of serious injuries when treating children using spinal manipulation.

A recent study done in part by the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, concludes that although serious adverse events have been identified when spinal manipulation is used to treat children, their true incidence remains unknown and these events must be better reported. The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, suggests a greater collaboration between the medical community and other healthcare professionals is needed to ensure patient safety.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers representing multiple professions that provide spinal manipulation. The team reviewed data from 13 international studies conducted during a period of more than 40 years.

Researchers discovered adverse reactions in children appeared to be rare compared to the numbers of spinal manipulations performed. However, those injuries that occurred, such as stroke and paraplegia, were serious enough to warrant further investigation and the development of an active surveillance registry to gather data about the quantity and quality of adverse events, so precise risk estimates can be made.

According to the study, children made an estimated 30 million visits to U.S. chiropractors in 1997. 

Source: ScienceDaily, www.sciencedaily.com

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