THE WELLNESS LETTER

The University of California

February 2004

“Don’t agree to neck manipulation”.

WHAT IS A STROKE?

 Think of the brain as if it were a flower with a bloom on top and a stem below. The difference is that the “stem of the brain” is itself filled with neurological tissue and indeed is the most vital nerve centre of the body.  A “stroke” is any type of damage to an area of the brain and brain stem caused by an interruption of the blood flow. Some strokes can be very severe while many others can be minor and hardly noticed. Yet they can impact greatly on your life.

 HIGHEST NECK AREA

 Any twisting of the highest neck area, where the skull sits on the first vertebrae called the atlas and the atlas then sits on the second vertebrae called the axis, can cause damage to the vertebral arteries that go up the back of the neck and in rarer instances, to the carotid arteries that go up the front of the neck.

This can happen with a sudden head movement that you could make yourself. It does also happen during some chiropractic highest neck manipulations. This has been fully documented in the past sixty years by scientific studies published in the medical literature. It was also the finding of two Inquests into the death of two Canadian women. In such a procedure the chiropractor holds your head by the front or the back and then suddenly rotates it making a popping sound. This is due to the joints creating a small vacuum which is then filled by nitrogen gas coming out of solution such as when cracking you fingers.

 HOW DOES THE NECK MANIPULATION CAUSE A STROKE?

 In almost all cases, the lining of the vertebral artery is damaged, a small cot forms which then travels to various parts of the brain or brain stem. This block the blood supply to that area and a stroke is the result. Physicians call this an “embolic stroke” as it is due to clots traveling from the area in your neck to the area of the brain stem and the brain itself.

 STROKES IN YOUNG PEOPLE.

 Only two percent of all strokes are in people less than 45 years of age. In this age group a significant number of strokes, especially in people who have no underlying heart disease, are due to damage (called a dissection) to the arteries going up the back of the neck, called the vertebral arteries. These arteries supply the most vital area of our nervous system, the brain stem. They then go on to supply the brain itself.

 WHAT IS THE BRAIN STEM?

 Just as the stem is the vital area that supplies a flower with nutrition so the stem of the brain is the most vital area of nerve tissue. It transmits information up to the brain itself but unlike the stem of a flower, the brainstem itself is loaded with numerous vital neurological centers.

 SOME EXAMPLES OF STROKES 

There are over 20 different kinds of strokes that can result from a chiropractic highest neck manipulation. These range from severe changes in vision to complete paraplegia to death. Here we will mention some of the less severe types of strokes. 

The common history preceding these events is that you had a chiropractic highest neck manipulation done a day or two beforehand and that afterwards you had increased neck pain and perhaps some nausea. While there may be other reasons to cause such strokes, chiropractic highest neck manipulation would have to be a first consideration. 

DRIVING YOUR CAR 

A chiropractic highest neck manipulation was done to you a day or two before. You had some increased neck pain afterwards. You are driving your car and you notice that you have some double vision. You also notice that you have to turn your head a little more sideways in order to see properly. You go to an eye physician and are told you have lost part of your field of vision. You also now will lose your license to drive a car. 

WHAT HAPPENED: Chiropractic highest neck manipulation caused a minor tear in a vertebral artery in your neck. This led to small clots forming on the surface. These then broke off and went to an area in the back of your brain called the occipital lobe. This is the area of the brain where you vision is interpreted. You have had a stroke in that area and have now lost part of your vision, most likely for life. A CAT scan or MRI would prove this. 

PLAYING THE PIANO 

You love to play the piano but now you notice that the fine finger control you had before is gone. You just do not have the same co-ordination you had before. In fact, you can hardly play again. 

WHAT HAPPENDED: A chiropractic neck manipulation caused damage to a vertebral artery in your neck. This led to small clots that broke off and went to an area of your brain called the cerebellum. This area is responsible for fine motor control. You have had a stroke in that area and have lost an essential part of your fine motor control. 

I HEAR RINGING IN MY EARS ALL THE TIME 

You notice a troubling whistling sound in your left ear. It is so bad you cannot sleep. You have gone to several doctors and none of them can explain it.

 WHAT HAPPENED:  A chiropractic neck manipulation caused damage to the carotid artery in the front of your neck. This led to a clot that formed and went to the auditory centre in the brain stem area. You have had stroke in that area. This can be diagnosed by an angiogram and MRI. 

SPONTANEOUS UNCONTROLLED EYE MOVEMENTS, MUSCLE WEAKNESS AND A SPEECH DEFICIT 

Immediately following a chiropractic neck manipulation the inner the lining of the vertebral artery tore. Small cots broke off into the area of the thalamus part of the brain. This is located at the top of the brainstem. This area of the brain has many functions including hearing, visual and body sensory feelings.   

TOTAL DEAFNESS IN THE RIGHT EAR WITH DIZZY SPELLS

 Damages were caused to the lining of the right vertebral artery. A MRI scan showed the distal portion of the artery to be blocked.