September 16, 2012 — On Sept. 3, The New York Times printed “Too Young to Have a Stroke? Think Again,” about the risk of stroke among younger people, which stated that “Other activities that can cause a carotid tear are those that involve sudden neck jerks, including scuba diving, golf and tennis, as well as chiropractic manipulation and bending the head sharply back (the so-called beauty parlor stroke).”
ACA President Keith Overland, DC, quickly responded with a letter to the editor that was printed on page 4 of the Science Times section of the Sept. 11 edition.
Overland’s response highlighted research published in the medical journal Spine, which concluded that the risk of vertebrobasilar artery stroke associated with a visit to a chiropractic physician is no different than the risk of stroke following a visit to a primary care physician, and that any observed association between stroke and cervical manipulation or primary care visits is most likely linked to patients with undiagnosed vertebral artery dissections seeking care for neck pain or headaches prior to their strokes.
Source: American Chiropractic Association, acatoday.org
