‘BACK-CRACK’ NIGHTMARE
Gal, 28, paralyzed after chiropractor visit
She’s able to open her eyes . . . and kind of move her hands. . . . But that’s it. Caitlin’s brother Caleb Johnson
A recent Georgia college graduate was left paralyzed after a routine trip last month to her chiropractor for back pain, her family said.
Caitlin Jensen, 28, who graduated from Georgia Southern University in May, was rushed to the emergency room after receiving a neck adjustment at a Savannah chiropractor on June 16, according to WJCL-TV.
After the adjustment, she “became ill” and was rushed by ambulance to Memorial Health hospital, where she was found to have four dissected arteries in her neck, loved ones wrote on a fundraising site for her medical expenses.
The damage led to cardiac arrest, a stroke and ultimately traumatic brain injury, according to the station.
“She’s able to open her eyes every now and then and wake up a little bit. And kind of move her hands to squeeze a little. But that’s it,” her brother Caleb Johnson told the outlet.
“That morning we were up and talking to her before work. You’re talking to her and then 30 minutes later, she’s in the hospital and now in the ICU.”
Doctors reportedly revived Jensen, who lost her pulse for 10 minutes, then rushed her into surgery to place a stent in one artery.
“She’s conscious and able to respond to verbal commands by blinking her eyes, as well as wiggling the toes of her left foot,” the GoFundMe post states.
“However, the rest of her body sits in a state of paralysis due to the injury.”
Jensen’s mother, Darlene Jensen, told WSB-TV that doctors
believe she suffered a stroke “as a direct result of the neck manipulation.”
”The surgeon . . . that saved her life, and every other doctor that has looked at her, have all agreed
that this happened as a direct result of the neck manipulation.”
She said, “The chiropractor called 911 and then called me and told me that she was ‘having a reaction to the treatment.’ ”
Raised $61,000
Though the official cause of her injury has not yet been determined, Jensen’s family has since
retained legal counsel.
The chiropractor she visited declined to comment to WJCL, but another spine doctor called Jensen’s condition rare.
“Those dissections will often produce symptoms of headache and neck pain, which then drive people to a doctor’s office,” Dr. Steve Ranicki reportedly said. “Once they’ve gone to the medical doctor or chiropractor, the likelihood is, unfortunately, a stroke will occur.”
“Caitlin has a long road to recovery, and as a college student who has a very simple health care plan, she will need significant financial resources to get her through this road to recovery,” the fundraising page says.
Jensen graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in chemistry and biology “ready to live the American dream,” the post states. As of Thursday, her loved ones had raised more than $61,000 for her medical care.