The Chiropractic Stroke Myth
I am sure you all have heard about the 34-year-old model, Katie May, died from a stroke after visiting the chiropractor back in 2016. Chiropractors were given a bad reputation for something that is extremely unlikely happen. In today’s blog, we will discuss the symptoms of stroke, why chiropractors are too blame and what chiropractors can do to better assist stroke patients. Continue reading to learn about the chiropractic stroke myth.
Symptoms of Stroke
There are two different types of strokes. One is a “ischemic stroke” which is when there is a lack of blood being supplied to the brain. It is caused by blockage of an artery such as plaque around the artery or a blood clot. The other type of stroke is a “hemorrhagic stroke” which is when a weakened blood vessel ruptures causing bleeding in the brain. This is called by high blood pressure or even aging. In either case, these two types of strokes can be caused by similar risk factors and could have the same symptoms. The risk factors for stroke are high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, poor diet, smoking aging, etc. I am sure you are seeing a trend that living an unhealthy lifestyle increases your chances greatly of having a stroke. So, the best way to prevent stroke is to eat properly, exercise regularly and simply live a healthy lifestyle. Symptoms of stroke include severe headache, dizziness, nausea, neck pain, blurred vision, loss of balance, numbness, weakness on one side of your body, face drooping on one side, slurred speech, confusion, etc.
Why Chiropractors Are to Blame
Did you notice that a lot of the symptoms listed previously are some very common symptoms that chiropractors treat every day? Headaches, dizziness, neck pain, blurred vision when associated with a headache and even nausea are seen daily in a chiropractor’s office that are treated very successfully. This is why there is the chiropractic stroke myth. Every once in a rare while, you will see on the news that a patient died of a stroke after being adjusted by a chiropractor. What people don’t realize is that the sudden neck pain, headache, dizziness are the starting symptoms of a stroke and may have mistaken it for an occasional flare up in the nervous system. The media will say that the forceful manipulation ruptured an artery causing the stroke. There is sufficient evidence through the years stating that the chiropractic manipulation does not cause dissection of the vertebral artery and is not forceful enough to do so. A chiropractor just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and it seems plausible to blame the last doctor that patient has seen.
What Can Chiropractors Do to Better Assist a Possible Stroke Patient?
Chiropractors are trained to perform orthopedic examinations to better formulate a diagnosis for each patient. Chiropractors are trained to realize when a patient may be having a stroke and most chiropractors are aware of the situation and call 9-1-1 immediately. When performing an examination for stroke, any patient who is experiencing any symptoms of a stroke is sent to the emergency room. When a proper exam is performed for stroke whether the test is positive or negative, a diligent service was done for the patient and a life could be saved by just doing a simple test. Unfortunately, there are patients who experience no symptoms of stroke and have a stroke. The fact that the chiropractor or any doctor for that matter performed the exam to serve the patient the best care possible. At our office, we perform a thorough examination including testing for stroke on EVERY patient, and if they are positive, they are going straight to the emergency room! The biggest take home message is if you are experiencing symptoms of a stroke or you feel a lot different than you usually do when you have a headache or any other symptom, don’t take a chance! Go to the emergency room. Get the care you need to get better!
