What is it about?

After reviewing data from 134 case reports of serious adverse events following cervical spine manipulation, it was found that almost half of the cases could have been prevented if clinicians had assessed for contraindications and precautions. Also, over 20% involved conditions for which manipulation was not indicated.

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Why is it important?

Manipulation of the cervical spine is not without risks however, this study found that if appropriate history taking and clinical reasoning approaches are used, adverse events can be significantly reduced.

Perspectives

It was an eye-opening (and jaw dropping) experience to read through the individual case reports and discover that adequate history and examinations had likely not been performed by clinicians prior to providing manipulation to the neck.

Dr Emilio J Puentedura
University of Nevada Las Vegas

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Safety of cervical spine manipulation: are adverse events preventable and are manipulations being performed appropriately? A review of 134 case reports, Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy, May 2012, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1179/2042618611y.0000000022.
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