Cervical manipulation, commonly known as neck manipulation, is a procedure involving adjustment of the upper seven
vertebrae
Each vertebra (: vertebrae) is an irregular bone with a complex structure composed of bone and some hyaline cartilage, that make up the vertebral column or spine, of vertebrates. The proportions of the vertebrae differ according to their spinal ...
of the spinal column. This procedure is most often utilized by
chiropractor
Chiropractic () is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of physical disorder, mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially of the vertebral column, spine. It is based on sever ...
s, as well as
osteopathic physicians who practice
osteopathic manipulation
Osteopathy is a pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine that emphasizes physical manipulation of the body's muscle tissue and bones. In most countries, practitioners of osteopathy are not medically trained and are referred to as osteo ...
. This type of manipulation may increase the risk of
stroke
Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
and other issues, with studies suggesting the relationship is causative.
Location
The cervical areas is located in the upper neck region of the spine from C1 to C7 .
Methods
Many types of practitioners use various techniques to adjust the position of the cervical bones. They include
bonesetter
Traditional bone-setting is a type of a traditional medicine, folk medicine in which practitioners are engaged in joint manipulation. Before the advent of chiropractors, osteopaths, and physical therapists, bone-setters were the main providers o ...
s,
physical therapist
Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is a healthcare profession, as well as the care provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through patient education, physical intervention, disease prevention ...
s,
chiropractor
Chiropractic () is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of physical disorder, mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially of the vertebral column, spine. It is based on sever ...
s,
non-physician osteopaths, and
osteopathic physicians. The various techniques range from high velocity low amplitude thrusts to gentle positional release techniques such as Brett's Procedure.
Risks
There are associated risks that come with cervical manipulation including
spinal disc herniation
A disc herniation or spinal disc herniation is an injury to the intervertebral disc between two vertebrae, usually caused by excessive strain or trauma to the spine. It may result in back pain, pain or sensation in different parts of the body, ...
, stroke and
vertebral artery dissection
Vertebral artery dissection (VAD) is a flap-like tear of the inner lining of the vertebral artery, which is located in the neck and supplies blood to the brain. After the tear, blood enters the arterial wall and forms a blood clot, thickening t ...
. Chances of stroke may be increased due to possible tears in neck arteries, known as cervical dissection, and is among the most common causes of stroke for young and middle-aged adults.
However, it is difficult to quantify this risk, with a 2012 meta analysis of previous studies stating that a significant risk "can not be ruled out", but noted that the true risk is possibly drastically underestimated, owing to the lack of a reporting requirement for private chiropractic practitioners.
See also
*
Chiropractor
Chiropractic () is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of physical disorder, mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially of the vertebral column, spine. It is based on sever ...
*
Spinal adjustment
Spinal adjustment and chiropractic adjustment are terms used by chiropractic, chiropractors to describe their approaches to spinal manipulation, as well as some osteopathy, osteopaths, who use the term adjustment. Research has shown that chiropr ...
References
External links
* MSNBC.com
"Deadly twist: Neck adjustments can be risky"
Manual therapy
Chiropractic treatment techniques