A systematic review has identified 34 cases in which spinal
manipulation in children was associated with adverse events. [Vohra
S. Adverse events associated with pediatric spinal manipulation: A
systematic review. Pediatrics 119(1) January 2007, pp. e275-e283]
http://pediatrics.aappublications.or...urcetype=HWCIT
Fourteen of the cases involved "direct" events in which the treatment
was followed by death, serious injury, symptoms requiring medical
attention, or soreness. The rest involved "indirect" events in which
appropriate diagnosis was delayed and/or inappropriate manipulation
was done for serious medical conditions such as meningitis. The
reviewers commented that despite the fact that spinal manipulation is
widely used on children, pediatric safety data are virtually
nonexistent. This type of review cannot determine how often adverse
events occur. That would require a prospective study with active
surveillance. The article did not consider harmful aspects of
chiropractic care that are far more common than the reported events.
These include (a) decreased use of immunization due to misinformation
given to parents, (b) psychologic harm related to unnecessary
treatment, (c) psychologic harm caused by exposure to false
chiropractic beliefs about "subluxations,"
http://www.chirobase.org/01General/chirosub.html and (d) financial
manipulation in children was associated with adverse events. [Vohra
S. Adverse events associated with pediatric spinal manipulation: A
systematic review. Pediatrics 119(1) January 2007, pp. e275-e283]
http://pediatrics.aappublications.or...urcetype=HWCIT
Fourteen of the cases involved "direct" events in which the treatment
was followed by death, serious injury, symptoms requiring medical
attention, or soreness. The rest involved "indirect" events in which
appropriate diagnosis was delayed and/or inappropriate manipulation
was done for serious medical conditions such as meningitis. The
reviewers commented that despite the fact that spinal manipulation is
widely used on children, pediatric safety data are virtually
nonexistent. This type of review cannot determine how often adverse
events occur. That would require a prospective study with active
surveillance. The article did not consider harmful aspects of
chiropractic care that are far more common than the reported events.
These include (a) decreased use of immunization due to misinformation
given to parents, (b) psychologic harm related to unnecessary
treatment, (c) psychologic harm caused by exposure to false
chiropractic beliefs about "subluxations,"
http://www.chirobase.org/01General/chirosub.html and (d) financial
Comment