Chiropractic treatment can be very helpful. Many of our clients rely on their chiropractors to treat pain and functional disorders not only in their spine, but in other parts of their body as well.
Like any type of treatment, chiropractic treatment comes with risks. This is why chiropractic manipulations are a “controlled act” under Ontario’s Regulated Health Professions Act, and why chiropractors are regulated health professionals.
How a Chiropractic Treatment Causes Strokes?
One of the major risks associated with some chiropractic treatments are strokes caused by cervical arterial dissection.
A cervical arterial dissection is a tear in one of the arteries in your neck. The tear can:
- stop or slow blood flow through the artery
- clot
- pieces of the clot can break off and block arteries to your brain.
Reduced blood flow to the brain can cause a stroke.
Determining the cause of any given arterial dissection can be difficult.
What Else Can Cause a Cervical Arterial Dissection?
Chiropractic manipulations are one of the potential causes of an arterial dissection.
Arterial dissections have been associated with activities such as roller coasters, sports, painting a ceiling, even blowing your nose too hard. In some cases, no specific cause is ever identified.
This can make it difficult to determine exactly what caused a dissection in any particular case
Who Is at Risk for an Arterial Dissection?
Many factors can increase a person’s risk of experiencing an arterial dissection.
These may include:
- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- Genetic factors
- Other rare medical conditions
A chiropractor should take an appropriate medical history and assess whether there are risk factors that may make treatment less appropriate or require further medical investigation.
Should I Still See A Chiropractor?
The risk of stroke doesn’t take away from the fact that chiropractors are still an important part of the care team for many people. There are many benefits of chiropractic care.
Like with any type of treatment, however, there are risks.
It is important to discuss the risks of chiropractic treatment with your chiropractor and medical doctor before consenting to treatment.
The chiropractor should assess:
- your risk factors (including those risk factors potentially predisposing you to an arterial dissection) and
- potentially send you for further tests with your doctor.
While there is some debate in the literature about the level of risk, there’s no doubt that an arterial dissection is an uncommon event.
What Should You Do If You Experience Stroke Symptoms Immediately After Chiropractic Treatment?
If you experience signs or symptoms of a stroke following chiropractic treatment, seek emergency medical attention immediately.
A stroke is a medical emergency and prompt treatment can significantly affect the outcome.
As soon as possible, you or another trusted person should also document as much information as possible, including:
- The chiropractic treatment you received
- A list of symptoms you experienced during and after the treatment
- Activities you participated in during the days and weeks leading up to the stroke
- Conversations you had with healthcare professionals
The more detail you can remember, the better.
Can You Sue a Chiropractor After a Stroke?
After your emergent medical needs have been addressed, you should contact a personal injury lawyer that takes on chiropractic negligence cases.
In Ontario, a successful chiropractor negligence claim generally requires proof that:
1. The chiropractor fell below the standard of care for providing treatment and/or did not get your informed consent
2. The chiropractic treatments caused the stroke (called causation).
Can you Prove the Stroke Was Caused by the Chiropractic Treatment?
Proving causation is one of the more challenging aspects of these types of cases.
Because arterial dissections can occur for many reasons, it is usually necessary to obtain expert medical evidence. We commonly retain neurosurgeons and other specialists to review medical records and provide opinions regarding causation.
These experts typically want detailed information about:
- The chiropractic treatment
- The timing of symptom onset
- Other activities that occurred before the stroke
- Any pre-existing medical conditions or risk factors
Timing of symptoms is very important.
For example, if in between the chiropractic visit and the stroke you had a car accident, or rode every roller coaster at Canada’s Wonderland, you may have a hard time linking the stroke to the chiropractor.
Why Early Legal Advice Matters
Cases involving stroke, arterial dissection, and chiropractic negligence are medically complex. They often require detailed medical record reviews and expert evidence from specialists.
Speaking with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Ontario early can help to preserve evidence, identify potential issues and determine whether there may be a viable claim.
If you suffered a stroke following a chiropractic treatment in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario, Bergeron Clifford Injury Lawyers would be happy to review your situation and discuss your legal options during a free consultation.
