An 80-year-old man who went to a chiropractor to get treatment for his leg injury died after the chiropractor broke his neck.
According to Daily Mail, John Lawler died from respiratory depression after suffering ‘irreversible’ spinal damage which left him a quadriplegic – a person paralysed in all four limbs.
The incident happened in the UK where John’s neck was ‘snapped like a rigid stick’ on chiropractor Dr Arleen’s treatment table. However, a condition that John had at the time contributed to this tragic accident.
Because of his old age, John was suffering from a calcifying condition, which meant that his spine was much more rigid than usual. Therefore, going for the chiropractic treatment meant that his back was bent like a spoon backwards and forwards until it broke in two.
John’s family are now calling for action against the General Chiropractic Council to consider first aid training for chiropractors and to implement pre-treatment imaging, such as x-rays and other scans to ensure that patients are fit for chiropractic treatments.
The family has also called for measures to prevent chiropractors from calling themselves ‘doctors’.
Investigations revealed that the chiropractor had not asked for any x-rays or images of the man’s condition before the treatment, which could have detected the condition that made him unfit for it.
Well, chiropractic treatments are unlikely to kill you if done professionally, but if you have a pre-existing condition like this elderly man did, it’s better to get yourself checked to see if you are fit for such a treatment before proceeding with it.
Also read: Woman Gets Thai Massage For Leg Pain, Now Paralysed With Broken Bone & Dislocated Ankle