Chiropractors’ neck ‘cracking’ may harm sight

NECK ‘cracking’ carried out by chiropractors may cause sight problems and bleeding inside the eye, experts have warned.

A medical journal has reported the case of a 59-year- old woman who suffered spots in her vision after an appointment with her chiropractor.

She was found to have multiple haemorrhages in her eye – thought to have been caused by her forceful treatment.

The woman had undergone high-velocity neck manipulation, which involves energetic thrusts of the neck and produces a cracking sound as joints are moved apart.

The technique has previously been linked to strokes and is now also thought in rare cases to damage the eye.

The report, led by the University of Michigan, states: ‘A 59-year-old Caucasian female presented with the acute, painless constant appearance of three spots in her vision.’ It adds that these appeared after she received high-velocity neck manipulation and was also instructed to twist her neck to both sides.

The woman, who has not been named, had an appointment with a chiropractor to ease headaches. Within a day the three spots appeared.

Her vision returned to normal after around a fortnight, and the haemorrhages went after two months.

However, she also suffered a mild detachment of the vitreous humour – the clear substance that fills the eye between the lens and the retina. In rare cases patients may need laser treatment or surgery to seal such tears.

The problems with the patient’s vision may have been caused by damage to blood vessels in the retina, linked to the thrusts performed in neck manipulation.

The technique has also been linked to strokes, as rapid neck movements may damage artery walls, allowing a blood clot to break free.

Edzard Ernst, an expert in alternative medicine, said chiropractic treatments were too dangerous and not sufficiently effective to be recommended for any condition.

Dr Yannis Paulus, lead author of the study in the American Journal of Ophthalmology, did not advise against any future chiropractic visits for the patient but said they may need to try other techniques.

The British Chiropractic Association said a report in 2007 found there were ‘no serious side effects’ across 50,000 such neck manipulations.