A study of more than 862,000 U.S. adults found no increased risk of a rare neck artery tear among those who received chiropractic neck manipulation compared with those prescribed ibuprofen.
Getting your neck adjusted by a chiropractor does not appear to increase the risk of a rare but serious artery tear.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 862,000 U.S. adults who sought care for a new episode of neck pain or headache between 2010 and 2025.
They compared patients who received chiropractor-administered spinal manipulation of the neck with those prescribed ibuprofen.
Within 30 days, 31 patients in the chiropractic group and 58 in the ibuprofen group were diagnosed with a cervical artery dissection — a tear in an artery in the neck that can lead to stroke.
Researchers found no evidence that chiropractic neck manipulation increased the risk.
One study author says people often ask her whether chiropractic care for neck pain is safe. She says, “This study is some of the best evidence yet that the answer to that question is yes.”
Still, researchers caution that patients and clinicians should watch for possible warning signs of an artery tear, including a sudden or unusual headache, neck pain that’s different from usual, or neurological symptoms.
Source: Chiropractic & Manual Therapies
Author Affiliations: University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Duke University
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