Seeing A Chiropractor Can Lead To Visual Impairment

Seeing a chiropractor can lead to visual impairment

Rapid manipulation of the neck by force can lead to long-term and even permanent visual impairment. Another such case, hemorrhage in front of the retina, was described by ophthalmologists at the Kellogg Eye Center at the University of Michigan.

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Rapid manipulation of the neck by force can lead to long-term and even permanent visual impairment. Researchers from the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center recalled this, reporting on one such case in the American Journal of Ophthalmology Case Reports.

This does not happen every time, but often enough to attract the attention of specialists. Vigorous thrusts and rapid rotations, sometimes performed when manipulating the neck, are associated with damage to the blood vessels in the retina. This can result in bleeding inside the eye, which can lead to loss of vision.

In this case, a 59-year-old woman developed a tadpole-shaped blind spot immediately after visiting a chiropractor, and the next day her vision deteriorated further. She was only manipulated with the cervical spine, using a high-speed technique to heal her headaches. She was then referred for examination at the Kellogg Eye Center. The woman's vision returned to normal after about two weeks on her own, without treatment.

Because retinal cells are very sensitive, even small damage to the blood vessels can lead to vision problems. That is why Dr. Yannis Paulus encourages patients to inform their doctor about the use of alternative medicine, and doctors to listen carefully to patients and inform them about the likelihood of side effects associated with such practice.

Experts in the field of cardiovascular surgery also talk about the health risks of using chiropractic care. Rapid neck manipulation is associated with a certain type of stroke or vertebral artery dissection, as warned by the American Heart Association back in 2014.

Short, quick movements of the neck can cause a small tear in the artery wall in the neck. This can lead to a stroke if a blood clot forms at the site, which then breaks off, blocking a blood vessel in the brain. This can also lead to vision problems, including double vision. Blood flow in the central retinal artery can be blocked, resulting in the death of retinal nerve cells.

However, the case described by the Kellogg Center speaks of another complication: force manipulation of the neck can directly damage the very structure of the eye. The authors argue that this is the first time that chiropractic treatment has resulted in multiple hemorrhages in front of the retina.

Other possible complications include abnormalities in the vitreous humor (the clear, gel-like substance that fills the eye between the lens and the retina). Manual therapy techniques can lead to posterior vitreous detachment, which occurs when the vitreous is detached from the retina.

In this case, no special treatment was required. According to the American Society of Retina Specialists, most patients no longer see flashes after three months, and with "floating clouding", vision usually improves.

Complications of posterior vitreous detachment are rare but can be serious, and in some cases require urgent treatment, including a laser, to seal the retina together if it breaks. It may even require surgery to detach the retina.