Overview of Research about Safety
Research confirms the simple truth that spinal manipulation (many chiropractors prefer the term spinal adjustment) is safe and effective.
A study entitled "The reality and acceptance of risk" published in JAMA in 1980 found an even greater "voluntary risk" of death per person per year from many common procedures and activities as cited in the PDF below.
The American Chiropractic Association article makes interesting observations about the "relative" safety of chiropractic compared to other interventions such as common medical treatments, or compared to common daily activities. The risks of using some common medications are 300 times higher than the risk attributed to spinal manipulation, and the risk of surgical procedures for neck-related complaints are as much as 700 fold higher than the risks of chiropractic cervical manipulations (adjustments).
Click on the link below to download the PDF comparing relative risks.
download (pdf format)