Fatal Injury to Hockey Dad concerns Chiropractic Patients – South Shore’s New England Spine Institute outlines CHIROPRACTIC NECK MANIPULATION IS SAFE
In response to a recent article which appeared in a local daily newspaper and detailed a hockey dadÂ’s fatal neck injury and compared it to a routine chiropractic neck manipulation, Holbrook, Weymouth and Braintree-based New England Spine Institute reassures patients this type of neck injury very rarely occurs as a result of chiropractic manipulation.
(PRWEB) March 10, 2003
In response to a recent article which appeared in a local daily newspaper and detailed a hockey dadÂ’s fatal neck injury and compared it to a routine chiropractic neck manipulation, Holbrook, Weymouth and Braintree-based New England Spine Institute reassures patients this type of neck injury very rarely occurs as a result of chiropractic manipulation.
In the case outlined in the newspaper, a fatal neck injury was sustained during a fight between two fathers at a hockey game, when one man twisted the otherÂ’s throat. The neck injury, known as Vertebral Basilar Artery Injury, rarely happens during chiropractic neck manipulation, and incidence is estimated between 1 in 1.3-4 million manipulations (Haldeman: Spine 1999) and may be attributed to non-related factors.
“I’ve been approached by several patients who were concerned about neck manipulation after reading the article. It was a tragic case. The neck ‘twist’, for lack of a better word, is dissimilar to the chiropractic neck manipulation used by Board Certified Chiropractic Physicians. Incidence of Vertebral Basilar Artery Injury from manipulation is less than one in one million,” noted Dr. Matthew Kowalski, Chiropractic Orthopedist and founder of New England Spine Institute.
Safe and Effective Manipulation
Vertebral Basilar Artery Injury rarely occurs in healthy individuals who have been thoroughly evaluated prior to chiropractic manipulation, and are being treated for neck pain and/or headaches. A thorough patient evaluation is required prior to any treatment and should include a neurological examination and documentation of clinical information. According to patient complaints and symptoms, diagnostic films such as x-rays or MRI may be appropriate.
Chiropractic was established in 1896 as a drug-free, non-invasive mode of health care, and has grown to become the third largest health care profession in the U. S. It is supported by a large number of insurance carriers including Blue Cross/Blue Shield, US HealthCare, Aetna, MassHealth and Guardian (to name a few) as well as all WorkerÂ’s Compensation and all Motor Vehicle Accident insurances.
About Dr. Matthew Kowalski
After establishing his practice in 1992, Dr. Kowalski was the first chiropractor to be granted privileges in a New England hospital and to practice at HealthSouth Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital. He lectures nationally for the National College of Chiropractic and teaches graduate courses in Physical Therapy at Boston University. He has co-authored the chapter "The Use of Instrumentation and Diagnostic Testing in the Chiropractic Practice" in the published text, "Principles and Practice of Chiropractic Practice, 1990". A text on the evaluation and treatment of low back disorders featuring two chapters co-authored by Dr. Kowalski is scheduled to be released later this year.
New England Spine Institute, Inc.
New England Spine Institute, Inc. established in 1992 and formerly known as Holbrook Chiropractic Care, strives to bring uniformity, predictability and consistency to the field of chiropractic care while educating patients on a variety of conditions and treatments. Board certified Chiropractic Physicians at New England Spine Institute provide a wide range of services including: assessment for appropriateness of chiropractic management; spinal and extremity manipulation; therapeutic modalities/myofascial release; spinal stabilization exercise training; flexion-distraction; Saunders Home Trac; independent chiropractic examinations and in-services.
New England Spine Institute is headquartered at 225 South Franklin Street in Holbrook, MA. Satellite offices are located at HealthSouth Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital located at 250 Pond Street in Braintree, MA and 15 Winter Street in Weymouth, MA.
For more information about New England Spine Institute, contact the main office at (781) 767-5555. To learn more about HealthSouth Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital, visit www. healthsouth. com.
